Lee Zeldin Campaign: Attacker Freed from Jail Exemplifies ‘Why Crime is On the Rise’ Across New York

Rep. Lee Zeldin’s (R-NY) gubernatorial campaign is blasting the release of the congressman’s accused attacker from jail, thanks to the state’s no-bail law, as an example of “why crime is on the rise” across New York.

On Thursday, Zeldin was giving a campaign speech in Fairport, New York when a man can be seen on video footage jumping on stage and attempting to stab Zeldin in the neck. Zeldin can be seen immediately grabbing the man’s wrist as a group of men jumped in to take him down.

The man, identified as 43-year-old David G. Jakubonis, was immediately arrested and charged with attempted assault in the second degree — a felony. Thanks to New York’s no-bail law, Jakubonis was released from jail within hours of his arrest.

“It is terrible public policy that in the State of New York, you can try to stab a sitting Member of Congress, or anyone else for that matter, and be back out on the street not even 6 hours later,” Zeldin’s spokeswoman Katie Vincentz said in a statement.

“This is one of many reasons why crime is on the rise, especially in certain parts of the state,” Vincentz said. “There is not enough accountability for people when they commit crimes, and this is just one of the many examples we hear all about in New York every single day. Enough is enough.”

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The attack on Zeldin came after New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) directed her supporters to show up at the congressman’s campaign stops. Hochul in a press release also used inflammatory language, calling Zeldin a “dangerous” lawmaker who is spreading “misinformation” and “lies.”

New York’s no-bail law, every day, helps free an array of accused criminals.

The law, first signed by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) and unchanged by Hochul, allows suspects accused of violent crimes like second-degree manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide, and child sex crimes, among others, to be released from jail within hours of being arrested.

Most recently, two men accused of smuggling $1.2 million pounds of crystal meth for the Mexican drug cartels were released from jail in New York City following their arrests.

John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here.