Wisconsin Man Receives Seven-Year Prison Term for Arson Attack on Congressman's Office
A Wisconsin man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for attempting to set fire to a Republican congressman's office, an act he committed in protest against the lawmaker's support for legislation targeting TikTok's Chinese ownership.
Details of the Sentencing and Incident
Caiden Stachowicz, 20, from Menasha, Wisconsin, received the prison term from Fond du Lac County Circuit Judge Tricia Walker. In addition to the seven-year incarceration, Stachowicz was handed an additional seven years of extended supervision. He entered a no contest plea to an arson charge in November, which is treated as an admission of guilt for sentencing purposes, leading prosecutors to drop related burglary and property damage counts.
The incident occurred early last year when a police officer responded to a fire outside the Fond du Lac office of Republican US Representative Glenn Grothman, located approximately 55 miles northwest of Milwaukee. The officer arrived around 1 a.m. and found Stachowicz standing near the scene.
Motivation Behind the Arson Attack
According to the complaint, Stachowicz told the officer he started the fire because he dislikes Grothman. He initially planned to break into the office and start the fire inside but was unable to break the window. Instead, he poured gasoline on an electrical box behind the building and around the front, lit a match, and watched it burn.
Stachowicz stated he wanted to burn down the office because the federal government was shutting down TikTok, which he believed violated his constitutional rights, and peace was no longer an option. He added that Grothman voted for the shutdown but emphasized he did not want to hurt Grothman or anyone else.
Background on the TikTok Legislation
Grothman voted for a bill in April 2024 that required TikTok's China-based parent company, ByteDance, to sell its US operations. The original deadline was January 19, 2025, but President Donald Trump issued multiple executive orders to prolong it. TikTok finalized a deal two months ago to create an American version of the social video platform, which Trump praised.
A spokesperson for Grothman's congressional office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Timothy Hogan, Stachowicz's attorney, has also not yet responded to inquiries.
