Man who sprayed Rep. Ilhan Omar with apple cider vinegar during town hall pleads guilty
The man who charged at Rep. Ilhan Omar and sprayed her with apple cider vinegar during a town hall in Minneapolis in January pleaded guilty on Thursday.
Anthony Kazmierczak, 55, entered a guilty plea for a federal charge of assaulting a United States Officer. He also faces state charges of making threats of violence and assault.
According to court documents, he could face up to14 months in prison, but no sentencing date has been set.
Omar was not injured on Jan. 27 when Kazmierczak rushed at and sprayed her with liquid in a syringe. He was tackled to the ground and arrested, and Omar continued to speak at the town hall for almost half an hour.
According to the federal complaint, a close associate of Kazmierczak told authorities he once said of Omar, "Somebody should kill that b****."
Omar was holding the town hall during the height of Operation Metro Surge, calling for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to be abolished and for then-Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign. Noem was ousted weeks later.
After the incident, Omar said she was OK and that "they picked the wrong person."
"I am not one to be intimidated," she said.
U.S. Capitol Police say the number of threats they're investigating against members of Congress, their families and staff increased 58% between 2024 and 2025.