Federal authorities charged a man who allegedly attacked Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) this week at a town hall in Minnesota with assaulting or impeding a federal employee.
Minneapolis resident Anthony Kazmierczak, 55, allegedly charged at Omar on Tuesday night and sprayed her with a liquid after she called for the abolishment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the removal of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, addressing constituents at a town hall amid unrest in the city following the fatal shootings of two Minneapolis residents this month.
Kazmierczak apparently responded, “She’s not resigning. You’re splitting Minnesotans apart,” according to video evidence reviewed by the FBI.
Kazmierczak was tackled by two security guards and later arrested by the Minneapolis Police Department. During his initial court appearance on Thursday, Kazmierczak was ordered detained pending a detention hearing on Feb. 3.
A hazardous materials specialist later identified the substance from the syringe as water and apple cider vinegar, with Kazmierczak allegedly admitting to squirting Omar with vinegar at the time of his arrest, according to an affidavit.
At a Wednesday press conference, Omar — who has been a frequent target of Donald Trump’s criticism — blamed the president for threats against her.
“Every time the president of the United States has chosen to use hateful rhetoric to talk about me and the community that I represent, my death threats skyrocket,” she said.
The attack came less than a week after Trump wrote in a social media post that Omar “should be investigated for Financial and Political Crimes, and that investigation should start, NOW!” Trump has criticized her many times on social media.
Shortly after the incident, Trump reiterated his criticism of the Minnesota Democrat, telling ABC News: “I think she’s a fraud.” He also alleged, without evidence, that Omar may have “had her herself sprayed.”
Kazmierczak, who has been arrested twice for driving under the influence and was convicted of felony auto theft in 1989, apparently told a close associate that “someone should kill” Omar several years ago, per the affidavit.
He also has a history of pro-Trump social media activity. In one October 2021 Facebook post, he shared a political cartoon depicting Omar holding a sign that reads “Defund police” and saying: “Security for me, none for thee.” The cartoon also depicts a security officer holding a bag of money that reads: “Omar and the squad spent a combined $100,000 on security last quarter,” an apparent reference to the young progressive group of House Democrats.
Kazmierczak also repeatedly posted in defense of Kyle Rittenhouse, the man who shot three people — killing two — at a 2020 Black Lives Matter protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Josh Gerstein contributed to this report.
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