Fake Campaign Call on Behalf of Assemblywoman Rhoda Jacobs

Pictured: Assemblywoman Rhoda Jacobs (D-42 Assembly District)

Updated at 1:14pm with comments from Melanie Hirsch, head of staff at Ms. Jacobs’ District office.

Neighbor Nathan Thompson wrote in to tell us about a disturbing phone call he received last night.

The female [who] called was extremely rude and determined to make us angry. First she yelled at my 10 year old when he answered the phone. When my wife took the phone, the woman snapped “Just tell me if you are voting for Rhoda Jacobs or not?!!”. My wife predictably responded that this call had helped he make a choice and slammed the phone down.

Thompson, a member of the 70th Precinct Community Council, says he later spoke with Ed Powell about the topic. Powell is the Chair of the Community Council and works for Assemblywoman Jacobs.

But before I could lodge the complaint, before Ed knew I had a problem, he explained that those services were expensive and that they had no one making calls. I have known Ed too long to not believe him, even if he had known where I was going with the question. But he did not not know until I told him.

This would explain why the angry woman did not refer to Jacobs with her real title, and why she seemed happy to upset us. I am not telling anyone who to vote for. I just wanted people to know that someone is calling my neighborhood and, it seems to us, deliberately making bad waves.

Melanie Hirsch, head of staff at Ms. Jacobs’ office, said that she didn’t know anything about the offending call.

“There will be a professional calling operation,” said Ms. Hirsch, “but I seriously doubt that anyone from the operation would act like that. It’s disappointing. It’s not acceptable. That’s not how we operate. No one should be berated.”

The professional calling operation was supposed to begin last night but the spokeswoman could not confirm that it actually did.

Update: Ms. Hirsch says that calls did begin last night but she has verified with the calling company that Thompson’s number was not on their list of numbers to call and that “this did not come from our end. We would never stand for anyone berating anyone.”

According to Ms. Hirsch, Mr. Powell was not aware that calls had already begun.

Have you received any suspicious calls? Have you received any campaign calls at all from the Assemblywoman? Let us know in the comments or email ditmasparkcorner@gmail.com.