MacArthur Aide Fights Back Against Activists In Letter To Editor

A Letter to the Editor from Noriko Kowalewski, MacArthur's Director of Constituent Services.

I am responding to a recent letter submitted by Marianne Clemente, Chairperson of the Barnegat
Democratic Municipal Committee on Dec. 12.

Unsurprisingly, a recent letter to the editor submitted by a local Democrat activist was riddled with inaccuracies and continued a disturbing trend of personally attacking staffers working with Congressman Tom MacArthur.

On Dec. 4, a small group of partisan activists arrived at the district office of Congressman
MacArthur unannounced, demanding a meeting with a staffer to discuss the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. As is
protocol for security reasons, the staff at Toms River Town Hall politely asked the group to wait in a
room large enough to accommodate this last-minute request.

I rearranged my schedule and spent nearly an hour listening to the constituents, ultimately inviting
anyone who wished to spend more time discussing their concerns to contact our office to schedule a
meeting.

The majority of folks who attended this impromptu meeting thanked me for listening to them and
carried on with their day. Some attendees were less than respectful, which is certainly disappointing.

Our office has been repeatedly targeted by a small group of partisan activists. There have been threats
of physical violence against Congressman MacArthur and our staff and countless profane phone calls
and letters. Many of these incidents have been investigated by United States Capitol Police, with one
recently resulting in an arrest. The rhetoric and actions by many, on each side in politics, has gotten out
of control.

I am beyond proud of the work we do in Congressman MacArthur’s Office. Our Constituent services
representatives have worked on close to 5,000 cases in 3 years, returning over $8 million from the
federal government to residents in our community. Our field representatives have met with countless
constituents and community groups to discuss issues like addiction, Sandy recovery, and how the federal
government can better care for our veterans.

Congressman MacArthur believes that hearing from our neighbors and treating others with respect is of
paramount importance and I look forward to a continued dialogue with the residents of Burlington and Ocean Counties.

To view the Clemente Letter to the Editor, click here.

Photo: Patch Archive Photo