United States Representative Ilhan Omar speaks during a news conference on January 28, 2026 in Minneapolis [Adam Gray/AP]
A man who attacked Democratic United States Representative Ilhan Omar with apple cider vinegar at a town hall in Minneapolis has been sentenced to 14 months in prison after pleading guilty to assault.
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Anthony James Kazmierczak, 55, appeared before District Judge Joan N Ericksen on Thursday and admitted planning the January 27 attack. He said he targeted Omar because of their opposing political views. Kazmierczak had been charged with assaulting a US officer.
It has been nearly eight months since Kazmierczak lunged at the congresswoman and sprayed a dark mixture of water and vinegar from a syringe. The liquid struck Omar’s clothing and skin.
Video of the incident shows Kazmierczak, seated in the town hall’s front row, suddenly rushing from the audience. He could then be heard shouting, “You must resign” and accusing Omar of “splitting Minnesota apart”.
Omar’s security team quickly restrained Kazmierczak, who was then arrested. Omar was not injured and continued with the town hall meeting.
The assault occurred as Omar was advocating for the abolition of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency and calling for the resignation of then-Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem. Omar had criticised Noem’s handling of federal border agents in Minneapolis during the shootings linked to “Operation Metro Surge”, President Donald Trump’s federal immigration crackdown in Minnesota. More than 2,000 officers were deployed in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, triggering intense civil unrest and the deaths of two US citizens, Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, at the hands of federal agents.
At an earlier hearing, Kazmierczak said he could not clearly recall the assault.
“It’s fuzzy,” he told US Judge Ericksen when asked what he remembered.
In a sentencing memorandum submitted to the court, prosecutors said Kazmierczak had sent texts to at least three people showing that the attack was premeditated. He declined to answer questions about his specific intent.
He also contacted a neighbour to make arrangements for his dog and obtained information about a bail bond company.
The sentencing memo said Kazmierczak had a long history of alcohol abuse and “a history of mental and emotional health concerns”. It also cited multiple health problems associated with his 2022 diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. His lawyer, John Fossum, argued that Kazmierczak had stopped taking his mental health medication before the attack, reducing his inhibitions and contributing to the incident.
“I’ve spent enough time in jail thinking,” Kazmierczak said on Thursday. “I really apologise to her for having put her through that,” he added, referring to Omar.
In a message sent after the attack, Kazmierczak wrote to Omar: “I’m sorry if I scared you.”
In social media posts, Kazmierczak had attacked former President Joe Biden and described Democrats as “angry and liars”. He also wrote that Trump wanted the US to be “stronger and more prosperous”.
“This assault is yet another example of a dangerous national trend: people channeling political hatred into criminal acts,” US Attorney Daniel N Rosen said after Kazmierczak pleaded guilty in May.
Omar, a Somali-American refugee and naturalised US citizen, has been the target of sustained mockery and anti-immigrant rhetoric from Trump during her time in Congress.
