According to the New York Post, "David Jakubonis 'willfully' assaulted" Rep. Lee Zeldin “'with a dangerous weapon' in Perinton," near Rochester, "an FBI agent alleged in a criminal complaint filed in United States District Court."
The 42-year-old Zeldin was not hurt, but was clearly shaken by the incident.
Here is a video of the incident:
This if the clearest video of the assassination attempt of @leezeldin in his gubernatorial campaign against radical leftist @KathyHochul.pic.twitter.com/YDP0ws4FpX
— MAGA GANG VISH ? (@VishBurra) July 22, 2022
The Post adds:
Jakubonis allegedly violated a federal law against intentionally assaulting a federal lawmaker or member of the Executive Branch, according to the six-page affidavit written by Special Agent Timothy Klapec.
Jakubonis claimed to sheriff’s office investigators he “did not know” who Zeldin was, and that he “must have checked out,” but the federal statute doesn’t require the prosecution to prove that a suspect is aware of a victim’s position to charge someone under that law. Jakubonis also told investigators that he had drunk whiskey on Thursday, according to the affidavit.
But he was only charged with attempted second-degree assault, which called for his immediate release under New York's criminal-friendly rules.
Just hours later, however, Jakubonis was released from jail, which sparked anger and frustration at New York's pathetically weak and politicized 'justice' system that treats conservatives like former President Donald Trump much more harshly. That said, after Jakubonis appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson two days later, he was remanded to jail after the proceeding, a staffer at the federal court in Rochester told The Post.
Some proceeded to blame the current Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, whose campaign put out an acerbic, inflammatory press release just ahead of Zeldin's speech.
"My team has informed me about the incident at Lee Zeldin's campaign event tonight. Relieved to hear that Congressman Zeldin was not injured and that the suspect is in custody. I condemn this violent behavior in the strongest terms possible — it has no place in New York," her Twitter account posted following the incident.
But The Post Millennial investigative reporter Andy Ngo responded with a statement that included a screen grab of Hochul's inflammatory statement in which she referred to Zeldin as an "extremist."
"Governor, you seemed to suggest there should have been vigilante violence by inaccurately describing that campaign event as filled with 'far-right extremists.' That is the same language and dog whistle used by Antifa militants to urge comrades to injure or kill targets," he wrote.
Governor, you seemed to suggest there should have been vigilante violence by inaccurately describing that campaign event as filled with "far-right extremists." That is the same language and dog whistle used by Antifa militants to urge comrades to injure or kill targets. pic.twitter.com/OXhXh5J73c
— Andy Ngô ???? (@MrAndyNgo) July 22, 2022
In a separate report, the New York Post added:
[F]ormer Manhattan prosecutor Mark Bederow said the details in the felony complaint against Jakubonis — who’s accused of swinging “a set of self-defense knuckles which had two sharp pointed ends” at Zeldin’s throat after threatening, “You’re done” — make a case for attempted first-degree assault, which is eligible for bail.
“If he had connected with [Zeldin’s] neck, he could have killed him,” Bederow said. “Certainly, they could have charged first-degree on a swing and a miss.”
A second former Manhattan prosecutor, Jeremy Saland, also said, “I think that this would constitute attempted assault in the first degree.”
“He’s not trying to inflict a black eye or cause a swollen lip,” Saland said.
“He’s trying to pierce a region of the body that could be fatal or inflict some sort of long-term impairment or disfigurement.”
Democrats are trying to sow chaos in our cities so they can declare 'emergencies' and impose authoritarian 'solutions.' That's what this is all really about.
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