By Mikie Sherrill

I left the Navy as a lieutenant after spending almost 10 years as a helicopter pilot. I worked as a federal prosecutor in New Jersey. And I am the mother of four children.

I have spent my life fighting for our country and our values. When those values are jeopardized, when our democracy is threatened, I believe it is our responsibility to speak out and demand accountability.

And while it's natural at this point to immediately check President Trump's Twitter account when you hear "threat to our democracy," it's alarmingly clear we need only look in our own backyard.

Last week, Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-11th Dist.) made local and national headlines for using his power to intimidate and target one of his constituents, Saily Avelenda. She was simply exercising her First Amendment rights -- freedom of speech, the right to assemble and petition the government. Avelenda, like many of us, got involved with local grassroots groups after the election, and had protested Frelinghuysen for refusing to meet with his constituents.

Apparently, for a powerful member of Congress like Frelinghuysen, such dissent is unacceptable.

He contacted a member of her employer's board, who also happens to be one of his campaign donors, to inform him of her activities. He included a handwritten note stating, "P.S. one of the ringleaders works for your bank!" Under pressure, Avelenda resigned.

It's easy to see why Frelinghuysen is so out of touch that he wouldn't care about a constituent's job security. He has, after all, been in Washington for 22 years. But for a middle-class New Jersey family, the thought of your member of Congress using his or her power to target you for exercising your rights is chilling.

As a former federal prosecutor with experience prosecuting both violent and white-collar criminals, I've seen what it looks like when the powerful prey on the vulnerable. So for me, Frelinghuysen's abuse of power is especially concerning. It shows a disrespect for the public trust that has been conferred upon him and a concerning lack of compassion.

That's why I applaud the calls from independent ethics watchdogs and Frelinghuysen's constituents to open an ethics investigation into his alarming abuse of power.

And regardless of the Office of Congressional Ethics' eventual ruling, it is clear that Frelinghuysen's regard for his constituent's livelihood and personal freedoms is nonexistent. Coupled with his refusal to hold town hall meetings in person and his vote to gut protections for pre-existing conditions, increase premiums on New Jersey families, and kick millions of Americans off their healthcare; his immoral actions have demonstrated, once and for all, that it is time for Frelinghuysen to go.

In times like these, we need leaders who will stand up for our values and put people before their own interests. We need leaders who will fight back against this type of unethical behavior.

I am running for Congress to create a better future for New Jersey's middle-class families, to ensure Americans have access to affordable college, to deliver tax reform that supports the middle class, and to decrease wasteful spending. Most importantly, I'm running to hold Washington and Frelinghuysen accountable, not to their donors or special interests, but to you.

Mikie Sherrill, a retired Navy lieutenant and an attorney, is seeking the Democratic nomination in the 2018 race for New Jersey's 11th Congressional District.

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