A dead animal and a brick with the name of a family member were left at the door of Rep. Tom Reed’s (R-N.Y.) Corning residence Friday, the representative said on Twitter.
The affront on Reed’s doorstep comes after he held a Thursday press conference to clean up graffiti left at the Tompkins County GOP headquarters from the Oct.16 demonstrations that were marked by physical altercations and burning Trump signs. On Thursday, protests continued into the evening following the press conference which culminated in the Ithaca Police Department arresting nine people.
The Corning Police Department responded to a complaint at 10:30 a.m. Friday morning.
Reed is running for reelection against Democratic challenger Tracy Mitrano J.D. ’95. Reed has represented New York’s 23rd congressional district since 2012.
The Corning Police Department said it has turned over evidence to the New York State Police Crime Lab in Albany for analysis. While the case remains active, the police department added that city police are working with state and federal agencies to conclude the investigation.
On Friday, Ithaca and county officials — including IPD Chief Dennis Nayor and Mayor Svante Myrick ’09 — rebuked the events that transpired last week, imploring protesters to conduct themselves in a peaceful manner for an upcoming Oct. 24 rally. Reed said the incident represented a pattern of immense polarization that has overtaken the country less than two weeks before the election.
“Across the country, politics has taken a disturbing turn,” Reed said. “We have to overcome this. I know that we can. We are all Americans first. What unites us is far greater than our political differences.”