Man who sprayed apple cider vinegar on Rep. Ilhan Omar faces state, federal charges
The man who lunged at Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar and I splashed her with liquid At a town hall in Minneapolis Tuesday night, he faces state and federal charges.
The 55-year-old man, identified by police as Anthony Kazmierczak, was tackled to the ground and arrested. Omar was not injured.
Kazmierczak faces a federal charge of assault, as well as state charges for threats of violence and assault.
Omar, a Democrat, called for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the resignation of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Kazmierczak was sitting in the audience and ran toward her, dousing her with a substance and yelling, the complaint states. The liquid stained Omar’s clothes and may have reached his eyes.
According to a field test, Kazmierczak doused Omar with a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water. The liquid was sent to a state laboratory for further testing.
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Body camera video of the incident shows Kazmierczak saying something like “I threw vinegar” during his arrest.
The federal complaint says the investigator interviewed a close associate of Kazmierczak, who told authorities that a few years ago, Kazmierczak was talking to a person on the phone about Omar and said, “Someone should kill this asshole.”
The Hennepin County complaint says several other people were affected by the liquid, including a Minneapolis city councilman and a state senator. The document goes on to say that Omar told officers she thought Kazmierczak said something to her like, “You should fucking die.”
In an interview with WCCO WednesdayOmar said she was doing “really well.”
“What happened to me is not acceptable, but they chose the wrong person,” Omar said. “I’m not one to be intimidated.”
Omar continued to speak and answer questions at town hall for nearly 30 minutes after the incident.
The incident comes as U.S. Capitol Police report that the number of threats they are investigating against members of Congress, their families and staff is increasing. The number of cases increased by 58% between 2024 and 2025.
