State Police interview owner of George’s of Galilee for threat against state Senator

Durfee’s statement to State Police conflicts with Durfee’s “apology” e-mail.

By Bob Plain in Rhode Island’s Future

Server is sick? Tough! Work or don't get paid.

A pair of public documents contain conflicting theories about who sent state Senator Maryellen Goodwin a threatening email this week concerning earned sick time legislation that said, in part, “The more you meddle with the hand that feeds you, the more you risk getting bit. We are fucking fed up and extremely close to violent opposition.”

Kevin Durfee, owner of George’s of Galilee, concedes he owns the email address the threatening message came from, but in a subsequent email to Goodwin he said he “did not write the email nor do I agree with what was written.”

A State Police report filed a day before Durfee sent Goodwin the second email suggests otherwise.

In the report, provided to several news organizations by House Spokesman Greg Pare, the man police “identified as the sender” told them “he was upset with the upcoming legislation that would have an effect on his business” and “apologized for the email that he sent,” according to the report.

The police report says “he will send the Senator an apology letter immediately.”

The email to Goodwin does not contain any apology.

Both the email and the narrative from the police report are pictured below.

Goodwin said she believes the police report.

“I have great confidence in our State Police, and believe the account they report is the accurate one,” she told RI Future.

“I do not find it plausible that someone would hack an email account in order to threaten a public official. This whole incident is very disconcerting, given the climate in our country. However, I will not be deterred from doing what is right for Rhode Island workers, particularly those at the lower end of the pay scale, like waiters and waitresses who under the current system may be forced to make the hard choice between losing a day’s pay or going in to work sick.”

For an earlier report on this incident, read Email to legislator warns business owners are nearing 'violent opposition'

Bob Plain is the editor/publisher of Rhode Island's Future. Previously, he's worked as a reporter for several different news organizations both in Rhode Island and across the country.