MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Anthony James Kazmierczak, 56, was sentenced to 14 months in prison for assaulting United States Representative Ilhan Omar during a Town Hall meeting in January 2026. Kazmierczak was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Joan N. Ericksen on September 17, 2026.Kazmierczak previously pleaded guilty on May 7, 2026 to a one-count indictment charging him with assaulting a United States Officer in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 111(a). Kazmierczak had originally been charged by complaint on January 28, 2026, one day after the assault.According to court documents, Kazmierczak attended an official Town Hall meeting in north Minneapolis, hosted by United States Representative Ilhan Omar. During the meeting, Representative Omar called for the then-Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary to resign. The defendant, seated in the front row of the audience, suddenly stood up and aggressively approached Representative Omar in the front of the room and sprayed her with liquid from a syringe, shouting, “She’s not resigning. You’re splitting Minnesotans apart.” The liquid from the syringe landed on Representative Omar’s jacket. The FBI interviewed a security guard who saw droplets of the liquid on Representative Omar’s face, and Representative Omar told the FBI that she also felt the liquid on her hand. Lab analysis determined the liquid contained acetic acid and identified it as a mixture of water and apple cider vinegar.After spraying the liquid, Kazmierczak gestured at Representative Omar while backing away and was tackled to the floor by a security officer from her security detail. The defendant was then escorted out of the room by security officers, and the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) responded to the scene. As an MPD officer approached the defendant, the defendant spontaneously stated, “I squirted vinegar.” The Town Hall meeting was briefly interrupted, but Representative Omar continued the meeting and her remarks.An FBI investigation determined that the defendant had planned the assault on Representative Omar for weeks, and he anticipated that his conduct at the meeting would likely result in an arrest. The defendant had ordered a ticket to the Town Hall meeting weeks in advance. Prior to attending the Town Hall meeting, Kazmierczak sent messages to associates with vague indicators that he planned to do something at the meeting, and he arranged for dog care and contact with a bail bond company.During the sentencing hearing, Judge Ericksen noted that the defendant’s crime was premeditated and planned, but it was “misguided planning.” She stated that Kazmierczak’s act was “misguided, selfish, and inconsistent with a free and democratic society.”“Political violence is unacceptable. This defendant chose to assault a Member of Congress instead of resorting to the ballot box. My office will not tolerate these types of attacks,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.“The planning and intent that went into this crime of political violence is shocking,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “The use of any form of violence to assault, resist, or impede officials carrying out their constitutionally appointed duties cannot be tolerated. Today’s sentence shows that there are serious consequences for choosing violence over civil discourse.”This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI with assistance from the Minneapolis Police Department.Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Bejar prosecuted the case.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice