Rep. Tom Reed (R-NY) released a statement on Friday afternoon indicating that he and his family were threatened at their home today by someone who left a dead animal and a brick with a family member’s name on it at the residence.
“Today, my family and I were threatened at our home in Corning,” Reed said in a statement. “The cowards used a dead animal and a brick with a family member’s name on it to try to intimidate us.”
“We assure everyone such threats only energize us to stand stronger,” Reed continued. “We thank the local police and federal authorities, who are already investigating this disgusting attack against my family. Across the country, politics has taken a disturbing turn. 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.”
The incident comes as there is less than two weeks left in the 2020 U.S. elections. Reed, 48, is running for re-election in New York’s 23rd Congressional District against Democrat Tracy Mitrano—who lost to Reed in 2018 by eight points.
This story has been updated to include additional information.