Republican NJ Congressman Answers Protests: Will Hold Public Town Hall

OCEAN TOWNSHIP (Ocean) — After claiming that paid protesters had taken over live town hall meetings that turned them into events designed to embarrass congressmen, U.S. Rep. Tom MacArthur will host a session on Monday.

Friday on Twitter, the 3rd Congressional District Republican invited constituents to the session at Waretown Volunteer Fire Co. Station 36 on Wells Mills Road in Waretown for the meeting at 6:30 p.m. Attendees are asked to RSVP, which does not guarantee admittance.

The meeting announcement said that bags and signs will not be permitted into the building

MacArthur was met by about 100 protesters outside Townsquare Media's WOBM studios in Toms River before his scheduled appearance for a monthly interview program.

"I made a comment a week or two ago that I think has been misunderstood. There are paid organizers behind much of this," MacArthur said during the program. "The people who are downstairs right now I know are well intentioned people who have concerns who want to be heard. And I want to find ways where I can hear from them."

Rich Wieland, of Toms River, was one of those outside the radio station and is glad MacArthur is holding the session.

"He said paid protesters 'hijacked' these angry public outcries for communications with elected officials. That's wrong. I participated in the Toms River protest not because I was paid or a community organizer, but simply because I'm concerned about the chaos in Washington and the administration's agenda that's taking America in the wrong direction," Wieland wrote in an email.

"At Monday's town hall, some of MacArthur's constituents (including me) will ask and comment about Russian collusion, health insurance, environmental protection and other crucial issues. We hope he will listen with an open mind and put our country above his political party," Wieland wrote.

The 3rd Congressional district comprises Ocean and Burlington counties.