Justice department charges man accused of attacking Ilhan Omar at Town Hall

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: The Justice Department on Thursday, January 29, pressed federal charges against a Minnesota man accused of attacking Rep Ilhan Omar during a town hall event in Minneapolis earlier this week, an incident that has reignited concerns about political violence and threats against elected officials.

Federal prosecutors say the suspect attempted to spray Omar with liquid from a syringe while she was carrying out official duties, prompting a brief disruption at the event and a swift law enforcement response.

Serious charges filed against accused

Anthony Kazmierczak has been charged with forcibly assaulting, intimidating and interfering with a member of Congress while she was engaged in her official role.

The charge stems from a Tuesday town hall where Omar was addressing constituents.

An affidavit filed by the FBI alleges that Kazmierczak approached Omar after she called for Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign.

Investigators say he appeared to shout, “She’s not resigning. You’re splitting Minnesotans apart,” before spraying her with liquid from a syringe.

Omar later told authorities that the substance stained her clothing and may have reached her face and right eye.

Her office confirmed the liquid was later identified as apple cider vinegar.

Despite being visibly shaken, Omar continued with the town hall after a short delay. She later posted on social media that she was physically okay.

Prior threats cited by investigators

Federal investigators allege the incident was not isolated. According to the criminal complaint, Kazmierczak had previously made threatening remarks about Omar, including telling a close associate years ago that “somebody should kill that b**** ”.

Authorities say those prior statements factored into their assessment of the seriousness of the alleged assault.

Public records show Kazmierczak has a criminal history dating back decades, including convictions related to unauthorized vehicle use and multiple DUI offenses. Divorce records from 2017 indicated he was unemployed at the time and receiving disability benefits.

His social media accounts reportedly contain pro-Trump content, criticism of Democrats and posts mocking Omar.

 Separate federal case in Kansas

In a separate but related development, federal prosecutors in Kansas filed charges against another man accused of making a death threat against Omar on Facebook.

The suspect was identified as Adam Lee Osborn, who allegedly posted the threat using an alias.

According to investigators, Osborn admitted writing the post, describing it as a way to “vent.”

However, the affidavit states that Osborn also told investigators he hoped his comments would “provoke someone to handle business” and kill Omar, as well as New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

He allegedly said he lacked the means to carry out an attack himself.

Ilhan Omar blames Trump's hate rhetoric

Speaking at a news conference on Wednesday, Omar linked the attack to escalating hostile rhetoric from President Donald Trump.

“What the facts have shown since I’ve gotten into elected office is that every time the president of the United States uses hateful rhetoric to talk about me and the community I represent, my death threats skyrocket,” Omar said.

Trump, when asked about the incident in an interview with ABC News, dismissed the allegations and suggested Omar “probably had herself sprayed”.