Spying in Winsted draws outrage

WINSTED — News that a group of proposed housing developers has hired private investigators to keep tabs on members of town committees rubbed community members the wrong way last week, and has some calling for a top-level resignation in town government.

Anthony Silano, a member of the Aurora investment group, said publicly last week that the group has hired private investigators to follow members of land use boards for months, in order to protect their investment in two separate development proposals on the ridge between Route 800 and Highland Lake.

Members of the community expressed outrage at Monday night’s Board of Selectmen’s meeting, first, at the idea that Winsted is in the midst of its very own Spygate, and second, that members of the Board of Selectmen have not condemned the activity. Numerous residents cited a story last week in the Waterbury Republican-American, in which Selectman Michael Hamm was quoted as saying, "Good for him," when asked about Silano’s use of private investigators.

Community Lawyer Charlene LaVoie and Winsted resident Hal Wilkes both called for Hamm’s resignation, saying support of Silano’s actions is inexcusable.

Wilkes said Republican members of the board have turned a blind eye. "These selectmen have made Mr. Silano their No. 1 priority, not the town or its citizens, and allowed him to have excessive influence over Winsted."

Hamm pointed out in an interview Tuesday that his "Good for him" comment was not intended to be a show of support for spying on community members. "I said ‘Good for him,’ meaning, who cares?" Hamm said. "I said this isn’t how I would have handled the situation. Obviously, people are leaving out the last part of my statement to chastise me."

Hamm said no crime has been committed and said calls for his resignation are "ridiculous."

"If these people have to look over their shoulders, it implies some kind of guilt," Hamm said. "If you’ve got nothing to hide, you’ve got nothing to worry about."

Though it is legal to hire private investigators, former Selectman Alan Dicara said he believes the Aurora story should be explored by authorities.

"I would ask the board to contact the attorney general to conduct his own investigation as to the nature, extent and legality of such an activity, the effect it may have on free speech in our town, the functions of our town agencies and the right to petition our local government," he said.

LaVoie said in a statement Monday that Hamm should step down. "Promoting spying on local citizens is an outrageous position for an elected official to take," she said. "It is harassment of citizens, an affront to the democratic process, and sabotages citizen participation in their own government. Our community must not tolerate an elected official who puts personal and political loyalty above his sworn obligation to faithfully discharge his duties as a selectman. He was elected to represent the people, not Mr. Silano’s economic interests and invasions of privacy."

Highland Lake resident Shirley Allshouse said at Monday’s meeting that the news of spying on citizens "gave me a cold chill." Allshouse called the spying "sleazy" and said she was outraged that Hamm supported it.

"I think most people in Winsted want the land use boards to ask questions and to act in the best interests of the town," Allshouse said. "Even though this thing is not on the same scale as the Salem witch trials, it’s still creepy. I want everybody in town to speak out and stop this."

Fellow resident Mike DeClement said he believes a privacy issue is at stake. "Let’s see if I’ve got this right. If I don’t agree with Mr. Silano and his projects, I run the risk of being a target of Mr. Silano’s private investigation? Hold on. Since I attend many of these meetings, I assume I’m under surveillance, possibly right now."

Hamm said Tuesday that Winsted residents are overreacting. "Apparently there is a group of very angry people and they apparently get up in the morning angry and they go to sleep angry," he said. "I don’t have time to be angry. I’m trying to do a job for the town of Winchester. The town is in bad shape financially and the five Republicans on the board have come forward to help. My sense is if all the angry people channeled all that energy from being angry and worked with us, I think it would solve the problem."

Despite Hamm’s contention that the controversy is much ado about nothing, LaVoie said spying on citizens is wrong and that selectmen have a responsibility to address the issue.

"There was just stone silence at Monday’s meeting," LaVoie said. "Those guys didn’t say a word. They completely ignored the public’s concerns. I’m not letting this go."