Minneapolis Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar

A Minneapolis man has pleaded guilty after authorities said he used a syringe to spray vinegar at Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar during a town hall meeting last January, an incident prosecutors described as a politically motivated assault.

Anthony James Kazmierczak, 55, entered the plea on Thursday to one count of assaulting a United States officer in U.S. District Court, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Minnesota. U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced the plea.

According to the statement, Kazmierczak was seated in the front row at an official Minneapolis town hall on Jan. 27, where Omar, a Somalia-born Democrat, was speaking. Prosecutors said he then stood, moved toward her, and carried out the attack.

“Kazmierczak sprayed Rep. Omar with apple cider vinegar from a syringe, which landed on Rep. Omar’s clothing and skin. Lab analysis confirmed the liquid contained acetic acid,” the statement said.

During a change-of-plea hearing, Kazmierczak admitted that “he planned the assault and that he did not agree with Rep. Omar’s political views,” according to the statement.

Rosen condemned the incident as part of a broader and troubling pattern. “This assault is yet another example of a dangerous national trend: people channeling political hatred into criminal acts,” he said. “The Department of Justice and this US Attorney’s Office will not tolerate such behavior.”

FBI Minneapolis Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson also denounced the attack. “Political violence is a scourge on our democracy,” Dotson said. “The FBI will not tolerate attacks on elected officials or anyone who serves our nation.”

The U.S. District Court has not yet scheduled Kazmierczak’s sentencing date.