Wisconsin Man Sentenced to 7 Years for Setting Fire to Congressman’s Office over TikTok Ban

​A 20-year-old Menasha, Wisconsin, man was sentenced to seven years in prison for attempting to burn down Rep. Glenn Grothman’s office after the congressman backed a bill to ban TikTok in the United States.

Caiden Stachowicz also received seven years of extended supervision by Fond du Lac County Circuit Judge Tricia Walker, court records said. In November of 2025, the accused pleaded no contest to an arson charge. Prosecutors dropped burglary and property damage charges as part of the agreement, according to The Independent.

​Stachowicz told the court he owed an apology to Grothman, firefighters who responded to the scene on January 19, 2025, and the building’s owner. “I don’t ask or expect anybody to forgive me. I only want you and everybody affected to know that I’m honestly sorry for what I did,” he said, according to Fox11.

​“My mental and emotional issues are no excuse for my actions. I take full responsibility for them. Thank you for hearing me out. I harbor no bad feelings for you, and I wish you the best of luck in your career,” Stachowicz added.

​Stachowicz previously told investigators that he started the fire because he “didn’t like” Grothman. He originally planned to break into his office in Milwaukee, but failed to break open the window. He then poured gasoline on an electric box and the area in front of the building, and lit a match.

​Investigators said Stachowicz confessed he was angry about the federal government’s plan to shut down TikTok. Grothman had voted for a bill in April 2024 requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based company, to sell its U.S. operation, according to The New York Post.

Stachowicz said the ban violated his constitutional rights, and peace was no longer an option, according to his arrest warrant. He said his intent was never to hurt the congressman.

​“Caden took every caution to make sure no one was present in the building at the time of the incident, as he only wanted to hurt himself,” his lawyer, Danielle Gorsuch, said.

Gorsuch pointed out that no one was hurt. “He took responsibility from night one.”

​Additionally, Gorsuch told the court that her client was the victim of a mental health crisis.

Meanwhile, TikTok closed a deal in January 2026 to create a new American entity, avoiding the looming threat of a ban in the United States that had been in discussion for years.

The company reportedly signed agreements with major investors, including Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX to form the new TikTok U.S. joint venture.

Trump supported the deal on Truth Social.