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Activists in Arkansas accused Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of sending constituents cease-and-desist letters. But while it's true that at least one member of the group received one, it is unclear how many constituents at large have as well. A spokesperson for Cotton's office, Caroline Rabbitt Tabler, confirmed the existence of the letters, saying that they were issued under extreme circumstances. She also said that it was rare to send any constituent such a letter. There has been no confirmed tally of how many times it has happened. The letters began getting attention when the liberal group Ozark Indivisible posted a picture of one on Twitter on 17 January 2018, along with a message taunting the senator: The letter stated: The letters themselves, however, are not recent; the one posted by Ozark Indivisible was dated 17 October 2017. A Fayetteville resident, Stacey Lane, identified herself as the recipient of the letter posted online. Rabbitt Tabler said Cotton's office did not accuse her of saying anything threatening but did not go into detail on why it sent her the letter. Ozark Indivisible confirmed to us on 19 January 2018 that Lane is a member of their organization. They also disputed reports that Lane threatened anyone or called a staffer a cunt. The group added: According to reports, an unspecified number of individuals received letters that month. Rabbitt Tabler said in a statement that they are only used under extreme circumstances: Another person, who did not identify themselves, told the Arkansas Times that they received a similar letter. They said: Cotton, whose current term in office runs through 2020, has come under criticism from his constituents in the past. During February and April 2017 town hall events, he was pelted with questions regarding various issues and hit with chants that included, Do your job. We contacted Cotton's office seeking further comment on the October 2017 letters and explore any connection to the town halls, but did not receive response.
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