Plumb Calls Out Reed for Attacking His Service to the Country

John Plumb

JAMESTOWN – The Democratic Candidate for New York’s 23rd Congressional District isn’t buying Congressman Tom Reed’s (R-Corning) explanation for criticizing his military service to the country.

Earlier this week Reed offered an explanation of why his campaign has been critical of John Plumb’s (D-Jamestown) service to the country – saying there is a difference between serving in the military and working in the defense department. Plumb, who served as an officer for the U.S. Navy for six years and is still in the US Navy Reserve – also served on a nonpartisan science fellowship and as a Military Legislative Assistant to Democratic U.S. Senator Ken Salazar.

In comments made on Monday, Reed said that while he respects Plumb’s service in the Navy, he also said that his other work at the Pentagon and with Salazar is political in nature, and as a result is open to criticism.

On Thursday John Plumb’s campaign sent out a release again critical of Reed.  The campaign said that while Plumb was serving shoulder to shoulder with his fellow service members and civilians in the Pentagon and the National Security Council, Tom Reed repeatedly placed politics above our national security – pointing out that Reed was only one of two New York members of congress to support shutting down the Department of Homeland Security in 2015.

Rep. Tom Reed (R-Corning)

Plumb’s campaign also points out that Reed has faced strong condemnation from local and national veterans for his attacks against Plumb’s service, with Democratic Congressman and U.S. Marine veteran Seth Moulton (D-Mass) calling out Reed for “unfairly ripping opponent’s military service.”

Plumb – who graduated from Randolph High School in 1988 and currently lives in Lakewood – stated that he is proud of his service and that voters will not stand by while Reed disparages that service.

“My entire career has been focused on our national security and keeping Americans safe. The fact that Tom Reed thinks it is possible to blur the lines of service shows how little Reed knows about the military, the Pentagon, and the men and women who choose to serve their nation every day,” Plumb said in the media release.

“I am proud of my 22 years of service advancing our national security at home and abroad, including my 15 years in the Navy Reserve where I currently still serve – and voters in Western New York, the Southern Tier and Finger Lakes will not stand by as a desperate Reed disparages my service and the service of all of us who have answered the nation’s call.”