Free Republic

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. Jakubonis “did not know who the speaker was or that the speaker...

The man who drunkenly attacked the Republican candidate for governor in New York was photographed being taken into custody by FBI, state and county police Saturday on federal assault charges, after being immediately released following the attack under the state's bail reform laws. David Jakubonis, 43, an Army veteran, was arrested after allegedly attacking Zeldin with a $10 cat keyring weapon at the congressman's Thursday campaign rally for state governor, outside of Rochester, New York. He was released hours later. But on Saturday, DailyMail.com cameras saw Jakubonis taken into custody by FBI, New York State police and deputies from the...

A 43-year-old man accused of attacking Representative Lee Zeldin (R., N.Y.) with a sharp object at a campaign stop in upstate New York on Thursday evening was charged with a felony and released from custody just hours after his arrest, police said. Zeldin, who is New York’s Republican gubernatorial candidate, was giving a speech on bail reform at a stop on his “Unite to Fire Hochul” bus tour in Perinton when David G. Jakubonis allegedly charged at him and pulled out a sharp object.

Rep. Zeldin took to Twitter to say be believed his suspected attacker would be 'instantly released under NY's laws' A man who allegedly attacked Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., with a sharp object at a campaign stop in Perinton, New York, Thursday evening was charged with a felony and released from custody within hours of his arrest, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department said. The suspect, identified as David G. Jakubonis, 43 of Fairport, N.Y., was charged with attempted assault in the second degree. He was arraigned in Perinton Town Court and released on his own recognizance, the sheriff’s department said. Zeldin,...

The man who allegedly tried to stab Republican candidate for New York governor Lee Zeldin with a bladed weapon during a campaign stop on Thursday was released from jail within hours of his arrest on a felony charge — just as Zeldin had predicted. David Jakubonis, 43, from Fairport, New York, was arraigned overnight in Perinton Town Court on a count of second-degree attempted assault stemming from the attack on Rep. Zeldin but was quickly released on his own recognizance. In a tweet after the violent incident in Monroe County, Zeldin, who is running as a tough-on-crime candidate against incumbent...

FAIRPORT, N.Y. (WHEC) — While making a campaign speech Thursday night at a VFW in Fairport, Congressman Lee Zeldin was attacked by a disgruntled man in the crowd. After a brief tussle, members of the audience took matters into their own hands—by disarming and apprehending the attacker with zip-ties pulled from campaign posters...