Man Sentenced to 14 Months for Vinegar Attack on Rep. Omar

Anthony Kazmierczak was sentenced to 14 months in federal prison on Thursday for spraying U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar with a mixture of water and apple cider vinegar during a Minneapolis town hall in January. The sentence, handed down by U.S. District Judge Joan N. Ericksen, followed Kazmierczak's guilty plea in May to a charge of assaulting a federal officer. The attack occurred on January 27 during a period of heightened tension in the Twin Cities, coinciding with a major immigration enforcement operation. Witnesses reported that Kazmierczak, 56, stood up from the front row of the audience, approached Omar, and sprayed liquid from a syringe at her while shouting that she was splitting Minnesota apart. Security officers subdued him and turned him over to police. Laboratory testing later confirmed the substance was a mixture of water and apple cider vinegar. Omar was not injured in the incident. After security officials initially urged her to leave, she returned to the stage and continued the town hall. "You don't give in to threats," she said following the attack. Prosecutors presented evidence that the assault was premeditated.