The United States Department of Justice formally charged Anthony Kazmierczak with assault following an incident where he sprayed Representative Ilhan Omar with apple cider vinegar during a town hall meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on January twenty-seventh. Court records filed this week detail that the Justice Department accused Kazmierczak of having “forcibly assaulted, opposed, impeded, intimidated and interfered” with Omar while she conducted official business.
According to an affidavit from FBI Special Agent Derek Fossi, who witnessed the event, Kazmierczak abruptly interrupted Omar’s address—which concerned increased federal immigration agent presence in the district—by spraying a liquid from a syringe. The complaint noted that Omar had been criticizing the Trump administration’s immigration policies, citing recent fatal shootings involving federal agents and calling for the resignation of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
Immediately following the assault, Fossi reported hearing Kazmierczak state, “She’s not resigning. You’re splitting Minnesotans apart,” before departing the scene. The initial uncertainty over the substance sprayed raised significant concerns regarding potential hazardous exposure to the Congresswoman and attendees.
Investigators uncovered prior concerning behavior from Kazmierczak, including an overheard comment years ago where an associate reported hearing him say regarding Omar, “Someone should kill that b****.” This history, coupled with documented critical social media posts against Omar, informed the severity of the federal charges, according to the court document.
The incident underscores escalating political volatility in the U.S., highlighted by a recent Capitol Police report detailing nearly 15,000 “concerning statements” investigated against members of Congress in the last year alone. Representative Omar, a prominent member of the progressive flank known as “The Squad,” has frequently faced intense, often personalized, criticism from right-wing figures, including former President Trump.
Omar subsequently held a press conference, affirming that while death threats increase when she is personally named by the President, the intimidation tactics have not deterred her from public service. She maintained her stance calling for accountability regarding federal immigration enforcement practices, despite the physical confrontation.
From a broader perspective, the event reflects the contentious environment surrounding immigration policy in Democrat-led districts with large immigrant populations, such as Omar’s in Minnesota. The administration’s deployment of federal agents in the area had already served as a major flashpoint leading up to the town hall appearance.
