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Man who set congressman's office on fire over TikTok vote convicted
A Menasha man was convicted of felony arson for setting fire to U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman's office.
The man, Caiden Stachowicz, told police he was upset about a vote related to the app TikTok.
The fire occurred in January at an unoccupied strip mall office in Fond du Lac.
Stachowicz pleaded "no contest" and faces a sentencing hearing in March 2026.
FOND DU LAC – A Menasha man involved in a January fire at a congressman's office was convicted Nov. 10, according to Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney.
Caiden Stachowicz, 20, pleaded "no contest" to felony arson and will appear before Judge Tricia Walker for a sentencing hearing in March 2026.
Stachowicz faces a maximum possible penalty of 25 years of initial confinement and 15 years of extended supervision, as well as a fine up to $100,000.
Caiden Stachowicz set fire to U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman's office in response to TikTok disruption
Fond du Lac police and fire officials responded about 1 a.m. Jan. 19 to the fire at the strip mall that included U.S. Congressman Glenn Grothman's office at 525 N. Peters Ave.
The building was unoccupied at the time of the fire, which damaged the exterior siding and an air conditioning unit, according to the initial news release.
The criminal complaint indicated Stachowicz set fire to the office because the congressman voted "Yes" to require a sale of the app TikTok, after which the app stopped working in the U.S. for several hours the night of the fire.
The first officer at the scene started putting out the fire with a fire extinguisher from his squad car and found Stachowicz standing by his own car. Stachowicz initially said it was an electrical fire, but later said he started the building on fire because "he doesn't like Representative Glenn Grothman," the complaint also reported.
He also told officers he had no intention of hurting anyone. He explained he bought gas and matches at a Kwik Trip in Menasha before driving to Fond du Lac, and he tried to break into the office first before he moved to the back of the building to pour gasoline at the back door and on an electrical box, according to the complaint.
The Fond du Lac Police Department investigated the case with assistance from the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation, and Toney prosecuted.