Yesterday I reported that the man who attacked Congressman Lee Zeldin (article here) had been released from jail “on his own recognizance.” He was released due to the ridiculous bail reform laws in New York State. However, that is not the end of the story (thankfully).
Late Saturday, Yahoo News reported the following:
A Perinton man was arrested Saturday afternoon on a federal charge of assaulting Congressman Lee Zeldin, the Republican nominee for New York governor, at a campaign event Thursday.
David G. Jakubonis, 43, made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marion W. Payson at the Keating Federal Building in Rochester. He was charged with assaulting a member of Congress using a dangerous weapon and is being held in custody pending a detention hearing on July 27.
Jakubonis had already been arraigned on a state charge of attempted second-degree assault and was released on his own recognizance, according to a news release from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
It is a federal crime under Tile 18, U.S. Code, § 351 to assault a member of Congress. Prosecutors do not have to prove that a defendant knew that the victim was a member of Congress to prove a violation of the law. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
On Sunday, The Huffington Post reported:
A man accused of attacking New York GOP gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin during a recent campaign rally told investigators he’d been drinking that day and didn’t know who the congressman was, authorities said as the man was arrested on a federal assault charge Saturday.
David Jakubonis, 43, made an initial court appearance Saturday before a federal magistrate judge in Rochester, New York, on a single count of assaulting a member of Congress with a dangerous weapon. The charge carries a potential maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Isn’t it interesting that the attacker is claiming that he did not know who his victim was. Why does he thing the Congressman was standing on a stage talking to a group of people? I suspect it will be a shock to him when he finds out that the fact that he claims he did not know the Congressman is irrelevant.