Paul Tonko, a U.S. Congressman representing New York’s 20th district since 2009, recently took to social media to express his concerns over two distinct issues. A former member of the New York State Assembly and a Clarkson University alumnus, Tonko voiced his opinions on recent events involving violence and political intimidation.
On June 2, 2025, Paul Tonko shared his reaction to an attack that occurred over the weekend on marchers who were honoring Israeli hostages. He stated: “Horrified by this weekend’s attack on marchers honoring Israeli hostages that left 8 people injured, including a Holocaust survivor. Hate, violence, and antisemitism have no place in our nation or anywhere in the world. I extend my prayers to the victims and their families.”
Later that day, he addressed actions taken by federal agents towards a fellow Congressman. In another post from June 2, he criticized the administration’s conduct: “Let me be clear—these actions by this administration are disgraceful and are nothing less than an attempt to intimidate a Member of a co-equal branch of government. I stand with Rep. Nadler and his staff. We will not be intimidated or silenced in the face of this cruelty.”
In conjunction with his previous statement, Tonko elaborated on the incident involving Congressman Jerry Nadler’s office: “Last week, federal agents forced their way into my colleague, Congressman Jerry Nadler’s office, detained staff and lobbed unfounded accusations of the office ‘harboring rioters.’”
Paul Tonko was born in Amsterdam, New York in 1949 and continues to reside there at age 73.
