Congressman Steve King (file photo).
Republican Congressman Steve King says he’s disappointed in the sentence for a Colorado man who admitted he threw a glass of water on King last year.
Twenty-seven-year-old Blake Gibbins was sentenced to two years of probation and ordered to perform 200 hours of community service.
“I have seen two of my colleagues shot since I’ve been in congress, others assaulted,” King said this morning. “There’s already been one copy cat crime committed against (Congressman) Matt Gaetz in Florida after this assault on me.”
King said he would have preferred a public apology and some jail time for Gibbons. According to King, Gibbons got money after the assault from well-wishers and that money should be donated to charity.
“Gibbons has received the proceeds from a Go Fund Me page in the amount of $5645. The fine needs to be much higher than that,” King said.
In a plea agreement, Gibbons admitted it was wrong to throw a glass of water on King. The incident happened nearly a year ago, at a restaurant in Fort Dodge.
“He took a 20 ounce glass of water and dumped that all over my head and just, you know, doused me with it,” King said. “And I jumped up and tackled him into a booth and I had some help from one of the other guys at the front that helped head him off at the pass…We held him there and the police force came from Fort Dodge and took him into custody.”
Gibbins’ attorney said Gibbins’ actions were out of character and may have resulted from recent emotional pressure. Gibbins, who had no prior criminal history, was in Iowa for a family funeral when he approached King.
(By Woody Gottburg, KSCJ, Sioux City)