Following a report in Lohud that Rep. Mike Lawler’s Deputy District Director Erin Crowley infiltrated a private Signal chat of concerned community members and urged them to disrupt Rep. Lawler’s event, a dozen community groups have released a letter calling for Crowley’s resignation:
We, the undersigned grassroots and community organizations, call for the immediate resignation of Deputy District Director Erin Crowley following the shocking revelation that she infiltrated a private Signal chat of community activists. This unethical and deceitful behavior represents a gross abuse of power, a violation of trust, and an affront to democratic values.
Public officials must be held to the highest ethical standards. Crowley’s actions—posing as a concerned citizen to spy on constituents—demonstrate a blatant disregard for transparency and accountability. Such conduct is unacceptable from anyone in a position of public trust, particularly one tasked with serving the needs of the district.
This incident raises serious concerns about the extent of surveillance and political espionage conducted by Representative Mike Lawler’s office. If Crowley acted independently, she has proven herself unfit for office. If she acted with the knowledge or approval of her superiors, this scandal implicates the entire congressional office. Either way, her continued employment erodes public confidence in our representatives.
We demand Crowley’s resignation from her position in Rep. Lawler’s office and a full investigation into this misconduct. Public servants must work for the people—not spy on them. Until she steps down, the shadow of this behavior will hang over every interaction her office has with constituents.
Signers
Citizen Action of New York
Community Voices Heard Power
Indivisible CCoHOPE
Indivisible Rockland
Indivisible Westchester
Indivisible Yorktown
Joining Forces
New York Communities for Change
New York Working Families Party
Northern Westchester Indivisible
Peekskill Progressives
Putnam Progressives
Crowley, 40, in her first term in the Putnam County Legislature, was named Lawler’s deputy district director in 2023 and runs his district office at Carmel Town Hall. She’s seeking election to a second term in the Putnam County Legislature in November.
