Minneapolis man who attacked Ilhan Omar pleads guilty

A Minneapolis man on Thursday pleaded guilty to attacking Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) with a syringe filled with vinegar during a town hall in January.

Anthony James Kazmierczak, 55, faces a maximum term of 96 months in prison but could be behind bars for between four and 14 months, defense lawyer John Fossum told NBC News. He said the three months in custody would count toward time served.

The Department of Justice charged Kazmierczak with forcibly assaulting, opposing, impeding and intimidating Omar. The Minneapolis Police Department said he faced a charge of third-degree assault.

U.S. District Judge Joan Ericksen on Thursday asked Kazmierczak about his recollection of the night, The Minnesota Star Tribune reported. He described his memory of the night as “fuzzy” but said he squeezed the syringe about 6 to 7 feet from where Omar stood at the town hall event.

“I kind of commented on it and then squirted her with the syringe,” Kazmierczak told Ericksen before saying........

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