Deputy Dan document debacle moves one more step

Deputy Dan plays by different rules

Deputy Dan Slattery wants transparency for everyone but himself
By Will Collette

Town Council Vice-President Deputy Dan Slattery likes to preach from the pulpit about the virtues of open and transparent government. Despite failing to secure Town Council approval, Deputy Dan has undertaken his own crusade to attack the Chariho Schools for preparing their budgets in a form that conforms to state regulations - but which he can't understand. To Deputy Dan, transparency - to him - trumps state mandates.

But after Deputy Dan wrapped up another one of his solo, unauthorized crusades - a detailed "investigation" of alleged criminal acts at Town Hall - Deputy Dan came before the Town Council brandishing a file with the fruits of his snipe hunt.

Deputy Dan said that he had interviewed town staff and collected town records and, according to Deputy Dan, there was no wrong-doing. And he held up what he described as a two-inch-thick file of documents that served as his proof. He invited other Council members to look at the file.

But he did not turn in the file so the public could see what he had found.

Deputy Dan shouldn't be able
to take his files and hide

As the main investigator on the Progressive Charlestown team, I wanted to see Deputy Dan's file. Not that I believed there really was a criminal conspiracy at Town Hall, I just wanted to see the documents Deputy Dan used as evidence. After all, he brandished the records at an open Town Council meeting. He said the documents were all obtained from town hall staff. He said the documents show no evidence of wrong-doing. He offered to show the records to other Town Council members.

So why won't Deputy Dan disclose the records to the public?

I filed a request for the records under the state open records law. Amy Weinreich turned down my request on the grounds that she doesn't have them - Deputy Dan never turned them in.

I filed an appeal with Town Administrator William DiLibero (the law prescribes the steps in the appeal process, and this is the first step). DiLibero turned down my appeal for the same reason - Deputy Dan did not turn in the records.

Then I filed a formal appeal with the State Attorney General's office. I just got the formal notice from the AG's office that they are taking the case to the next steps. They are even calling my complaint "Collette v. Town of Charlestown." I have to admit I feel funny about that title because my grievance is not with the Town, but with Deputy Dan. I would prefer to have the case be called "Collette versus Deputy Dan's Hypocrisy," but I don't get to decide that.

I won't try to predict how this will turn out. Ideally, Deputy Dan Slattery should apply the same standard he demands of everyone else and submit the records to the town so the public can have access to them.

Here is the letter I received from the Attorney General: