Towamencin Township News.
On Thursday, Towamencin Supervisor Laura Smith posted a video imitating an anti-Semitic salute. By Sunday, she had resigned.
In the wake of former Republican Towamencin Township Supervisor Vice Chair Laura Smith’s Tik Tok video which took 72 hours to cost her the positions of supervisor, Montgomery County library board trustee and Knights for Life, government dignitaries expressed their anger at her alleged National Socialist gesture that made intercontboard memberinental news.
“Earlier this week, the richest man in the world mimicked a Nazi salute, communicating allegiance to the most vile views of hate and destruction. On the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, I’m devastated to see these actions repeated in Montgomery County by an individual who was elected to serve our friends and neighbors,” wrote Pennsylvania State Sen. Maria Collett, D-12, on Facebook. “Let me be clear, this hatred is unforgivable and actions like these can never be normalized in our community. The defense of imagery that supports Nazism is un-American and stains the reputations and legacies of the more than 900,000 Pennsylvanians who served in our armed forces during WWII to fight for the American ideals of liberty and freedom.”
“We must ask ourselves whether an elected leader who is incapable of recognizing the hurt such actions cause is worthy of serving our community. My answer is no,” Collett wrote.
Montgomery County Commissioners Chairman Neil Makhija wrote on social media that Elon Musk “practicing his Heil Hitler” has inspired “some local wannabe fascists to do the same.”
“They say they're joking. Hard to claim anything is a joke when Trump's first act in office was freeing 1,500 of Jan 6's violent, cop-killing criminals who are now free to commit more crimes with a Presidential blessing,” Makhija wrote. “One of Trump's pardon recipients, who threw an explosive at police on Jan 6, has already been re-arrested on gun charges stemming from a felony for strangling his wife and resisting police. Now the President wants to meet with him in the Oval Office. Meanwhile there's a move to de-naturalize and deport immigrants because of... crime? Nope.”
“The purpose of scapegoating and deploying threats of violence is to consolidate power and enrich Trump + his fellow oligarchs. Welcome to the next four years -- call it out for what it is and get ready to fight,” he wrote.
State Rep. Steve Malagari, D-53, posted a statement on social media bearing an official Pennsylvania House of Representatives seal.
“It is deeply disturbing to see a fellow elected official publicly emulating Nazi symbolism. This is not just inappropriate – it is a slap in the face to those lost in the Holocaust, their descendants, and our Jewish friends and neighbors who continue to carry the weight of that history,” Malagari said. “It’s also blatantly disrespectful to the brave soldiers who fought and died to defeat fascism and the freedoms we hold dear. Embracing any form of that hate-driven ideology is a betrayal of their sacrifices. We cannot claim to support our troops and then adopt the very ideology they fought so hard to destroy.”
Malagari said the community must continue to stand united against hate, oppression and division.
“Our district is built on the strength of diversity – different faiths, races, backgrounds – all contributing to make our community stronger, richer, and better,” he wrote. “That is something we should celebrate and protect, not mock or undermine.”
On his Facebook mayoral page, Lansdale Mayor Garry Herbert praised the action of the borough’s neighboring municipality.
“I am happy to see that there has been an appropriate resolution to her wildly misguided and inappropriate public statements and actions,” wrote Herbert. “I will say it would have been equally appropriate for Ms. Smith to apologize for embarrassing the whole of the North Penn Area regardless of her intentions with her video. I am thankful that, here in Lansdale Borough, we have passed and supported our Human Relations Ordinance and commission that enshrines the protection of all people in our community and allows us a structured path to manage issues like this in our community.”
Montgomery County Democratic Committee Chairman Jason Salus, who is also the county’s elected treasurer, as well as chairman of the County Investment Board, treasurer of the Employee Retirement System, and director of Tax Claim, wrote he was deeply disturbed by the actions of Smith.
“The use of a Nazi salute is anti-Semitic, offensive, unacceptable, and has no place in our community or in public service. I stand with the residents of Towamencin and local leaders in condemning this reprehensible behavior, which is contrary to the values of respect, inclusion, and decency that we uphold,” he wrote. “Our community deserves leaders who represent us with integrity and respect for all.”
African Human Rights Coalition Executive Director Melanie Nathan of the 30,000-member-strong Jewish Women ORI (Our Rights + Ideas) issued a statement on Saturday after Smith resigned from her extracurricular posts.
"We were disturbed, offended and deeply hurt when we saw the video of elected Vice Chair of Towamencin Township Supervisors, Laura Smith, on social media where she mimicked a Nazi salute and white supremacist gesture, as clearly reflected through a deliberate chest thump and raised arm with flat hand," said Nathan. "When challenged on social media she effectively made an admission that she intended to hurt and offend. She said she wanted to 'stir the pot' and called those offended, who most obviously are us Jews, 'boobs' and 'unhinged.' This clear antisemitic behavior is not only an offense to us Jews, but also an egregious and horrific taint on the entire township supervisors and all represented in its jurisdiction."
Nathan said Jewish people are impacted through their experience as the survivors, the children, the grandchildren, and the targets of the Holocaust genocide against Jews.
"We immediately feel hate and interpret this as a desire for our extermination. This trauma is now cemented and exacerbated by what we as Jews have suffered further since October 7, when Hamas terrorists brutally murdered 1,200 Jewish festival goers, babies, elderly, men and women in Israel, while celebrating and expressing hope for the demise of all Jews. Much of this sentiment has been further expressed by right wing extremists of America, as well as the Pro-Palestinian elements on the streets of America," Nathan said. "Jewish people in all America, including Pennsylvania, Montgomery County, and Towamencin are living through a time of heightened antisemitism, in almost every aspect of our lives, to include violence in Pennsylvania itself. Ms. Smith’s actions and comments exacerbate these dangers. It also reflects on her incompetence to lead, when she so clearly endorses this violence, and reflects bigotry and bias toward a minority of her constituents. In our democracy elected officials are expected to serve all, equally."
No public statements were released by the Montgomery County Republican Committee or the Towamencin Republican Committee, or either Republican Supervisor Chuck Wilson and Kristin Warner.
Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick and Republican State Sen. Tracy Pennycuick were also absent in reaction.
Editor's Note: This story was updated to remove the word "gaffe" from the headline and lead sentence. While its use was intended to mean "a socially improper or unsuitable act," a majority of readers had an issue with the adjective.
