The man who sprayed vinegar at Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar during a Minneapolis town hall was sentenced Thursday. 56-year-old Anthony Kazmierczak got 14 months in prison after reaching a deal with prosecutors. The sentencing came nearly eight months after the Jan. 27 assault. At the time, Minneapolis-St. Paul was facing an immigration crackdown that led to angry protests, arrests and the killing of two U.S. citizens by federal officers.
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Details About The Sentencing Of Anthony Kazmierczak
Also, Anthony Kazmierczak was sentenced to three years of supervised release. This includes no contact with Ilhan Omar. U.S. marshals escorted him from the courtroom after he was sentenced.
“This wasn’t a spur of the moment act,” U.S. District Judge Joan N. Ericksen said before handing down the sentence
The judge noted that Kazmierczak had secured tickets for the town hall weeks in advance. “An attack on a public figure is not a political statement. It is misguided, selfish, and inconsistent with any concept of a free or democratic society,” Judge Ericksen said. Spraying anything at an elected official “is a terrifying thing, and you knew that when you did it.”
Kazmierczak Apologizes For Attack On Rep. Ilhan Omar
Anthony, who has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, shook visibly at times as he sat at the defense table. He spoke quietly and with pauses, occasionally wiping away tears as he stood before Judge Ericksen.
Kazmierczak spoke about being a good neighbor, and how his troubles with insurance companies as well as prison had worsened his ailments. His attorney, John Fossum, argued that Kazmierczak had not been taking his mental health medications before the attack on Ilhan Omar. That lack of medication, he says, lowered Anthony’s inhibitions and contributed to what happened.
“I’ve spent enough time in jail thinking,” Kazmierczak said, his voice barely audible. “I really apologize to her for having put her through that,” he said, referring to Omar.
In an earlier hearing, the 56-year-old was unable to explain his actions, saying only “it’s fuzzy” when Judge Ericksen asked what he remembered. “I’m sorry if I scared you,” he wrote to Omar after the attack.
Anthony Planned The Attack, Prosecutors Said
During the town hall, witnesses saw Anthony Kazmierczak jump up from the audience, spraying liquid from a syringe at Ilhan Omar. He reportedly said she was “splitting Minnesota apart.” Omar’s security officers tackled Kazmierczak and turned him over to the police, who arrested him. Omar was not injured and continued with the town hall after the arrest. Authorities later determined he had sprayed her with a mixture of water and apple cider vinegar. He pleaded guilty to assaulting a U.S. officer.
The government sentencing memorandum, which prosecutors submitted to the court, said he had texted at least three people, indicating he planned to do something at the meeting involving Omar. However, he “would not answer their questions about his intent.” Additionally, he sent messages to a neighbor to arrange dog care and asked for the bail bond company’s contact information.
Moreover, the sentencing memo said Anthony Kazmierczak had long struggled with alcohol abuse. It also claimed the attacker had “a history of mental and emotional health concerns” and a string of health issues tied to his 2022 Parkinson’s disease diagnosis.
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Associated Press writer Tim Sullivan contributed to this report via AP Newsroom.
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