David Iakubonis, 43, was arrested Saturday and charged with assaulting a member of Congress with a dangerous weapon, according to Justice Department spokeswoman Barbara Burns. According to court documents, Yakubonis made his first appearance before U.S. Magistrate Marian W. Payson in Rochester on Saturday, and the weapon used was described in court records as a keychain for self-defense.
Yakubonis already faced state charges in Thursday’s alleged assault. He was charged with attempted second-degree assault after he was accused of confronting Zeldin, a Republican, while giving a speech in Fairpoint, New York. Yakubonis “attempted to stab” Zeldin, the campaign said in a statement, and the GOP lawmaker “grabbed the assailant’s wrist to restrain him until several others assisted him in bringing the assailant to the ground.” Zeldin was not injured.
CNN tried to reach the public defender assigned to Iakoubonis for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
According to the criminal complaint filed Saturday, Yakubonis, an Army veteran, allegedly told authorities he had consumed whiskey on campaign day and “should have signed off” as he walked on stage and asked if Zeldin disrespected veterans . Yakubonis told authorities he did not know who Zeldin was at the time.
Yakubonis is scheduled to appear in court on the federal charges on Wednesday.
After his initial arrest Thursday, Yakubonis was held for six hours before being arraigned, where he was released on bond, according to Monroe County Sheriff’s Deputy Brendan Hurley. He had travel restrictions limiting him to Monroe County, and an order of protection was issued to stay away from Zeldin, according to court filings.
Because of the class of the alleged crime, under New York law, the presiding judge would not be able to set bail even if he wanted to, Hurley previously told CNN. In 2019, New York’s bail reform law eliminated cash bail for most felony and non-violent misdemeanor charges, with Class E being the least serious class of misdemeanors.
Republicans expressed outrage at Iakubonis’ quick release.
Zeldin, who has made New York’s rising crime rate a central focus of his campaign attacks on Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul, on Friday blasted the state’s bail system after Yakubonis was initially released. He said changes are needed to the state’s cashless bail system and that judges should have discretion when deciding who should remain in police custody.
“My first and foremost concern about cashless bail and the need to review it is danger,” he said. “Judges should have the discretion to assess the danger. It’s about the victim,” Zeldin, who was unharmed in the attack, said at a rally in Onondaga County, New York. “But even if you were to have a conversation with the staunchest defender of cashless bail, I’d challenge them on this: I’d say they’re doing a disservice to the guy who attacked us on stage last night because they’re in a hurry… they have to, by law – they must hurry to release him.”
Zeldin said he believes cash bail should be abolished and that “there should also be a certain minimum set where certain cases, certain suspects, accused, they should stay behind bars.”
Hochul tweeted Thursday night that he was “relieved to hear” that Zeldin was not injured in the incident.
“My team briefed me on the incident at Lee Zeldin’s campaign event tonight. I was relieved to hear that Congressman Zeldin was not injured and that the suspect was in custody. I condemn this violent behavior in the strongest possible terms – it has no place in New York,” Hochul wrote.
This story has been updated with additional information.
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