A US district judge sentenced Anthony Kazmierczak to 14 months in prison on Thursday for spraying Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar with a water-and-vinegar mixture during a town hall meeting in Minneapolis.
Kazmierczak, 56, pleaded guilty to assaulting a US officer over the January 27 attack. He also received three years of supervised release with a condition of no contact with Omar. US marshals escorted him from the courtroom after sentencing.
The attack, captured on video, showed Kazmierczak leaping from the front row of the audience and spraying the congresswoman with liquid from a syringe. He was heard shouting that Omar should resign and was “splitting Minnesota apart.” Omar’s security officers tackled him and turned him over to police. She was not injured and continued with the town hall.
District Judge Joan N Ericksen said the assault was premeditated, noting Kazmierczak had secured tickets for the event weeks in advance. “This wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment act,” she said. “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.”
A government sentencing memorandum said Kazmierczak had texted at least three people indicating he planned to do something involving Omar at the meeting but would not answer questions about his intent. He also messaged a neighbour to arrange dog care and sought bail bond company contacts.
The memo said Kazmierczak had long struggled with alcohol abuse, had a history of mental and emotional health concerns, and faced health issues tied to a 2022 Parkinson’s disease diagnosis. His attorney, John Fossum, argued that Kazmierczak had stopped taking his mental health medication before the attack, lowering his inhibitions. At an earlier hearing, Kazmierczak said his memory of the incident was “fuzzy.”
“I’ve spent enough time in jail thinking,” Kazmierczak said in court. “I really apologise to her for having put her through that.” In a message to Omar after the attack, he wrote: “I’m sorry if I scared you.”
The assault came as Minneapolis faced a federal immigration crackdown that drew protests and arrests. Omar had called for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement during the operation, which involved more than 2,000 officers. Two US citizens died during the shootings during the crackdown.
Omar, a refugee from Somalia and naturalised US citizen, has been a repeated target of anti-immigrant rhetoric. In social media posts, Kazmierczak had criticised Joe Biden and referred to Democrats as “angry and liars.”