LETTER: Group questions alignment with Oliver North
To the Editor:
Speaker Betsy Briggs, co-founder and steering committee member of Indivisible Mohawk Valley, issued the following statement regarding the activities of Rep. Claudia Tenney (NY-22) on Monday, Oct. 29:
“Rep. Claudia Tenney will spend Monday, Oct. 29, in the company of Oliver North, who will headline fundraising for Tenney’s campaign at events in Broome and Oneida County.
“Oliver North was a key figure in the Iran-Contra scandal of the late 1980s. He was involved in the illegal sale of arms to Contra rebel groups in Nicaragua, an action expressly prohibited by Congress under the Boland Amendment.
After he was indicted on 16 felony counts, he admitted to having lied to Congress. He was convicted on four felony counts, including obstruction of a Congressional inquiry.
Why Claudia Tenney, a member of Congress who seeks re-election to Congress, has decided that someone who lied to and obstructed Congress is an appropriate companion for her fundraising schedule in her district tomorrow is beyond the comprehension of her decent, law-abiding constituents.
“Indivisible Mohawk Valley encourages our members to engage in constructive and peaceful activities that counteract hatred and division within their communities on Monday, Oct. 29th, and to observe a respectful commemoration of the lives that have been lost in recent days to hate crimes and gun violence.”
Jen DeWeerth, Indivisible Mohawk Valley
(Website: indivisiblemv.com, Email: indivisiblemohawkvalley@gmail.com, Facebook: Indivisible Mohawk Valley, Twitter: @IndivisibleMV)