Man who accosted former Rep. Lee Zeldin at campaign stop pleads guilty in federal case

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) — A man who climbed the platform at a campaign event in western New York last year and grappled with Republican gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of assaulting a federal officer. David Jakubonis faces up to a year in prison and a hefty fine at his sentencing, which is scheduled for December. At the campaign rally near Rochester, New York, in July 2022, Jakubonis approached then-U.S. Rep. Zeldin. According to prosecutors, the two men struggled, and Jakubonis pulled Zeldin down before being subdued. Attorney John DeMarco said the misdemeanor plea was “a solid example of justice being reached.”