Utica fundraiser featuring GOP Rep. Lauren Boebert postponed: Here's what happened

The announcement of an appearance by U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, whose national profile has been marked by controversy, at a Utica fundraiser in October sparked opposition on social media. The event has since been postponed, but organizers say they still plan to extend an invitation to Boebert after the 2022 election cycle.

Vincent Scalise, executive director of the Utica Center for Development, said he met Boebert while he was deployed with the Army National Guard to the U.S. Capitol following the Jan. 6 riot. While there, he took photos with all 100 senators and some members of the House, including Boebert, a Colorado Republican.

The congresswoman bought Chick-fil-A for troops on duty one night and the two became friends, he said.

“I ran into her while I was doing security,” Scalise said. “She was extremely nice to us and our troops.”

She offered assistance at the time and Scalise said the idea of bringing her to the Utica Center for Development’s annual gala scheduled for Oct. 8 was inspired by her national profile. The nonprofit, which provides services through the Parkway Center Thrift Store, the Utica Food Pantry and The Central New York Veterans Outreach Center, has seen financial donations and volunteerism decline during the COVID-19 pandemic, he said.

“So, I thought the best way to get things jumpstarted was to get someone of national notoriety to come and get things moving again,” Scalise said. “I’m hoping to still have it happen, it’s just a matter of when now.”

The announcement that Boebert would speak at the fundraising gala at the Fort Schuyler club drew attention online. A Facebook post by the Utica Center for Development garnered a majority of angry reactions and some of the public shares of the post expressed outrage over her involvement. Comments on the post were limited by the page managers.

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Boebert has come under scrutiny during her time in office. She and U.S. Rep. Majorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia, heckled President Joe Biden during his State of the Union speech this year. She expressed the desire to dissolve the separation of church and state in June and made Islamophobic comments about U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minnesota, during a campaign event last November.

While the Oct. 8 gala has been postponed until further notice, Scalise said he’s looking for another date to have Boebert come to town. During the gala, Boebert would have been available to discuss her new book, “My American Life,” which would be available for sale and to be signed.

“I still plan on bringing her to Utica, probably after the first of the year,” Scalise said.

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: US Rep. Lauren Boebert's appearance at Utica fundraiser postponed