Staple-Gun Politics: State Rep's Daughter Charged in Attack on Mom's Challenger

CHICAGO, IL - The daughter of State Rep. Cynthia Soto is accused of beating her mother’s primary opponent with a staple gun.

Jessica Soto and her boyfriend Bradley Fichter, both 26, each face three counts of aggravated battery from an alleged March 6 incident in Ukranian Village in which Bob Zwolinski - Cynthia Soto’s challenger in the Illinois 4th District State Senate primary - sustained injuries in what he claims was a staple gun attack outside his campaign office, according to DNAinfo Chicago and other reports.

Zwolinski described a confrontation that began when he saw a man and a woman stapling campaign signs for Soto on his Ashland Ave. campaign office on Facebook the night of the alleged incident.

He confronted them, which he claims sparked an attack from both Soto campaign volunteers.

“6 stitches, no broken face bones. Just a nose crack,” he wrote, claiming the two used the same staple gun they were using to put up the signs on his face.

About the woman in the incident - later presumed to be Jessica Soto - Zwolinski wrote, “I'll live and will be on the streets tomorrow but what really gets me is that young lady is very dangerous.”

"We thank the Chicago Police Department for conducting a professional and thorough investigation,” David Zwolinski, Zwolinski’s father, said in a statement after the charges were announced. “This is not Russia or Iran; a physical attack on a candidate is an attack on Democracy. The voters of the District deserve better. There is no room in our society for thugs and bullies.”

Attorney Frank Avila, who represents Soto and Fichter, told DNAinfo the woman involved in the incident was not Soto and that “will come out in court.”

Avila claimed at the time of the incident Zwolinski was the aggressor in the situation and that his clients were putting up signs in a vacant lot near the campaign office, and not on the office itself.

The two suspects were each charged Friday with aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated battery causing great bodily harm and aggravated battery in a public place. Fichter was also charged with filing a false police report.

Cynthia Soto, a longtime incumbent in the 4th District post, easily beat Zwolinski in Tuesday’s primary with nearly 80 percent of the vote.