Man who squirted Ilhan Omar with vinegar pleads guilty to charges of assaulting a federal official

In a plea deal filed in federal court, Anthony James Kazmierczak, 55, acknowledged that he squirted vinegar at Omar during a town-hall meeting on Jan. 27.

Published: May 8, 2026 12:34pm

A Minneapolis man pleaded guilty on Thursday to charges of assaulting a federal official in a January attack on Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn. 

In a plea deal filed in federal court, Anthony James Kazmierczak, 55, acknowledged that he squirted vinegar at Omar during a town-hall meeting on Jan. 27, the New York Times reported

Omar was calling for the resignation of Kristi Noem, who was then the homeland security secretary. Kazmierczak stood up from his front-row seat, aimed the syringe containing a mixture of water and apple cider vinegar at Omar, and emptied it. 

Two security officers tackled him. After Kazmierczak was taken into custody, Omar continued with the event. The assault charge that Kazmierczak pleaded guilty to carries a sentence of up to eight years. 

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