Man Who Sprayed Ilhan Omar With Vinegar Is Sentenced

A Minnesota man who sprayed Rep. Ilhan Omar with a vinegar solution during a January town hall in Minneapolis was sentenced Thursday to 14 months in prison. Prosecutors said Anthony Kazmierczak, 56, used a syringe containing water mixed with apple cider vinegar to spray Omar while accusing her of "splitting Minnesota apart" before being tackled by her security. Omar was not injured and finished the event.

Kazmierczak later wrote to Omar apologizing and accepting responsibility. He was charged with assaulting a US officer and pleaded guilty in May, reports KSTP. A sentencing memo cited his history of alcohol abuse, mental health issues, and a Parkinson's diagnosis. "It's fuzzy," he told US District Judge Joan N. Ericksen when asked what he remembered in an earlier hearing, per the AP. But prosecutors said he had messaged others ahead of the town hall suggesting he planned to act, and had arranged a dog sitter and looked up a bail bond company in advance. Prosecutors had sought eight to 14 months, reports KARE 11.