Mike Lawler donated to staffer accused of inciting town hall chaos

New York Rep. Mike Lawler wrote a New York Times op-ed this week urging leaders in both parties to tone down their rhetoric and ease political divisions. This came mere months after Lawler donated to a candidate accused of inciting a riot.

Campaign finance disclosures show that Lawler’s campaign gave $1,000 to Erin Crowley in October 2025. At the time, Crowley was running for a second term in the Putnam County Legislature while also working for Lawler as his deputy district director.

LoHud reported in July 2025 that Crowley’s phone number appeared in a private group chat on the messaging app Signal. The group, known as Fight Lawler, was organizing peaceful protests to raise awareness about Lawler’s record.

Fight Lawler members say that Crowley used an alias to infiltrate their group. She then posed as a fellow activist and encouraged the chat’s participants to boo, jeer, and be disruptive at an upcoming Lawler town hall meeting in Somers, NY.

Crowley attended the May 5 meeting as a Lawler employee. Throughout the night, she reportedly scolded attendees for their outbursts while simultaneously encouraging people in the group chat to be more raucous. The scene spiraled into chaos, crescendoing when a 64-year-old woman was forcibly removed from the venue by police.

“She infiltrated our Signal group,” Fight Lawler co-founder Maureen Morrissey said of Crowley. “We are so sickened by it.”

Crowley’s alleged behavior drew condemnations from across the political spectrum. Several progressive groups, including the New York Working Families Party and Indivisible, issued a joint statement calling on Crowley to resign from the Putnam County Legislature. Republican Legislator Paul Jonke, who serves with Crowley, said her conduct was “disappointing.” Frank Ciano, a local Republican activist, advised Lawler to fire Crowley.

Lawler did not heed this advice. Crowley’s LinkedIn page indicates that she is still employed by Lawler. Now, it is also clear that she won another term on the Putnam County Legislature with Lawler’s monetary support.

Lawler is running for another term this year. He is widely considered one of the most vulnerable House Republicans seeking reelection.