Dear Chairman ___________: I am writing to you and the other GOP Chairs, whose counties make up the 22 Congressional

District, to inform you that I intend to create an exploratory committee to examine a challenge to Maurice Hinchey in the November 2012 elections.
nd

For far too long, Congressman Hinchey has been the standard-bearer for a liberal agenda that is bad for our nation, our state and the people of the 22 nd Congressional District. The American Conservative Union gives Maurice Hinchey a lifetime rating of zero, the lowest of any current member of the New York Congressional Delegation. Simply put, Maurice Hinchey must be defeated! I am a life-long New Yorker and, for the past twenty-five years, have called far western Ulster County home. In 1973, two years after graduating Columbia University Law School, I was appointed an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, where I investigated and tried numerous high-profile narcotics, white collar, terrorism and organized crime matters. In 1977 I was promoted to Assistant Chief of the Criminal Division. Since leaving the U.S. Attorneys office Ive been in private practice as a litigator and in 2002, I was appointed by Governor George Pataki to serve on his Federal Judicial Screening Committee. Thankfully, Ive had a good run as a lawyer, and for almost 25 years I was running my own small firm and helping clients in and out of court. My children are now grown and beginning to raise families of their own, and my wife Suzanne and I wonder what kind of future our grandchildren will have and whether they will have the way of lifeits opportunities and its freedomsthat we have enjoyed. We worry what will happen if Nancy Pelosi regains control of the House and Democrats rule again in Washington. Over the years I have been a supporter of Republican candidates and conservative causes and in fact contributed to George Phillips 2010 race against Congressman Hinchey. George ran a great race but, sadly, came up short. 2012 will be a tougher year for Republicans than 2010; President Obama will be up for re-election, and the Democrats will be out in force registering new voters on the college campuses throughout the congressional district. If the Republican Party is to defeat Maurice Hinchey, we must have a candidate who can raise over $2,000,000 and wage a no-holds-barred campaign against him. If I enter this race, I will be that candidate. I will also be the candidate who, without apology, will articulate conservative and Republican principles of less spending, lower taxes and shrinking an ever-growing debt and deficit that have put our nations financial well-being and our districts economy at grave risk. In the weeks ahead, I plan to be reaching out to the GOP county chairs as well as your counterparts in both the Conservative and Independence Party to schedule a time when we can meet, get to know each other and discuss my viability as a candidate. I want to hear your views on what it will take to run a successful campaign.

2 In his farewell address from the Oval Office in January, 1989, Ronald Reagan said, I ultimately went into politics because I wanted to protect something precious . . . . I went into politics in part to put up my hand and say Stop. I was a citizen politician, and it seemed the right thing for a citizen to do. Ronald Reagan was and is an inspiration to me, and the words from his farewell address sum up my reasons for wanting to enter this race. Sincerely,

Thomas E. Engel