Tom O’Mara, New York Republican, apologizes for expletive-filled tirade on constituent

New York state Sen. Tom O’Mara has apologized after a video showed him verbally attacking a constituent who was asking questions about his support for a controversial project proposal.

Mr. O’Mara, of Elmira, was in a car with his wife when they were reportedly approached Dec. 13 by a man asking about the proposed liquefied gas storage project. The man secretly videotaped the exchange, which was obtained by the Albany Times Union.

The exchange is relatively polite until about four minutes into the video when the Republican’s wife says her husband would never support anything that would hurt the environment.

“That’s interesting,” the unidentified man says.

“What the f—- do you mean, ’That’s interesting?!’” Mr. O’Mara screams suddenly after remaining quiet for several moments.

“I’ve done nothing other than sit here and answer your [expletive] questions and you tell me that’s [expletive] interesting?! You’re a [expletive] douchebag! Get the [expletive] out of my face! Now!”

“Move, [expletive]!” he continues in the rant, which lasts about 40 seconds, the Times Union reported. “I’ve had enough of you and your kind. Get the [expletive] out of here!” 

Mr. O’Mara explained in a statement that he feared at the time for his and his wife’s safety.

“In hindsight, and especially in light of the fact that he was surreptitiously recording the exchange, I should not have attempted to respond to an unidentified stranger who was clearly looking to give me and my wife a hard time for his own purposes,” he said. “Truthfully, it began to feel a little threatening with this person leaning into our car, at close proximity for several minutes and becoming condescending to my wife. My only concern became personal safety and to get this person out of our car and away from us.

“It’s regrettable that the exchange ultimately turned heated and, as an elected official, I regret the words and tone that were used. I still don’t like the underhanded tactics, but I should know better,” he said.