Ambler Tax Collector and local Democratic Party official Jennifer Wexler Stomsky took to social media to praise the murder of Republican activist Charlie Kirk.
Now she may be looking for a job.
In response to news of Kirk’s death, Stomsky — an elected borough official who is running for reelection this November — posted a profanity-laced diatribe urging her fellow Democrats to embrace violence.
In the comments section, she added, “Let’s make some more martyrs.”
After widespread criticism, Stomsky pulled the posts, offered an apology and stepped down as vice chair of Area 14 Wissahickon Democrats.
On Tuesday morning, Montco Democratic Chairman Jason Salus joined the chorus of those calling on Stomsky to resign as tax collector. He sent DVJournal this statement: “The inscription on the Finance Building in Harrisburg reads: ‘All public service is a trust given in faith and accepted in honor.’
“Every party leader and elected official has a unique responsibility to turn down the rhetoric, not raise the temperature. Political violence and incitement have no place in our public square and no home in the Montgomery County Democratic Committee. We don’t cherry-pick condemning anyone advocating for, or engaging in, political violence, ever, period, full stop. Calls for violence are a breach of the public’s trust and must be met with unequivocal denouncement.
“Today I am calling on Jennifer Stomsky to resign all of her positions in the Democratic Party and her elected position as Ambler’s Tax Collector,” Salus said.
Stomsky is hardly alone. Democrats in the Keystone State and across the country have taken to social media to celebrate Kirk’s assassination and declare him a racist and a transphobic bigot. That includes at least three Pennsylvania school districts — Cocalico, Lancaster, and Southern York — where teachers and staff have made problematic comments about the death of the 31-year-old husband and father of two.
Ambler Borough Council President Glynnis Siskind released a statement distancing the town leadership from Stomsky’s statement.
“As I shared in my previous statement, the individual opinions that Ambler Borough’s elected officials may share on their personal social media pages do not necessarily reflect those of Ambler Borough Council or Ambler Borough. Ms. Stomsky’s recent posts/comments do not reflect those of Council, and we are glad to see that she has posted an apology and taken some corrective action. The Tax Collector in Ambler is elected by the public and Borough Council has no legal authority to remove any elected official from office.”
Stomsky’s GOP opponent, Bernadette Dougherty, issued a statement of her own.
“I condemn political violence unequivocally,” said Dougherty, a former Ambler tax collector and council member. “No matter who is targeted or why, violence has no place in our communities or our politics. We can disagree, even strongly, without dehumanizing one another or resorting to threats or harm.
“I’m not interested in trading insults or amplifying inflammatory posts. I’m interested in steady work, honest communication and results that strengthen Ambler. I invite everyone, regardless of party, to join me in lowering the temperature and getting back to the basics that make Ambler a great place to live,” added Dougherty.
Asked for a comment, Stomsky sent DVJournal her Facebook post.
“I would like to sincerely and deeply apologize for the posts of mine that have been circulating on social media. I recognize that my words were not only hurtful, but they fell far short of the standards I hold myself to and that this community deserves. I take full responsibility for the pain, disappointment and division they have caused.
“The comments were written in a moment of frustration and were hyperbolic, never intended for public view, and in no way meant as a call for violence. Still, I understand that words have power. Political violence has no place in our community or in our discourse, and I regret that my words suggested I would ever believe anything to the contrary. For that, I am truly sorry.”
Montgomery County Republican Chair Christian Nascimento called on Stomsky to resign.
“As a society that values life and the rule of law, we cannot accept having an elected official like Jennifer Stomsky, whose reckless comments actually promote violence,” said Nascimento. “Our community deserves local government officials who have integrity and respect a peaceful approach to politics. That’s not Jennifer Stomsky. A simple apology is not enough to account for the disgusting and dangerous comments she made. Jennifer needs to resign from her position as Ambler Tax Collector immediately.”
There is also a Change.org petition that has almost 250 signatures, asking her to resign.