| Mageau claims Charlestown citizens association is a PAC |
1:00 AM EDT on Thursday, July 26, 2007 By Maria Armental Journal Staff Writer CHARLESTOWN — Town Councilman James M. Mageau filed a complaint with the state Board of Elections yesterday accusing the Charlestown Citizens Alliance of violating the state’s election laws by failing to register as a political action committee. The group — whose ranks include several of Mageau’s political foes, including council President Katharine H. Waterman and Vice President Harriet A. Allen — “has engaged in initiating and underwriting campaigns against public officials, fundraising, [and] distributing political propaganda and several of its members initiated a lawsuit to force an illegal special election to recall this writer from the Charlestown Town Council,” Mageau charged in his complaint. He submitted newspapers clippings, a DVD from one of the meetings the association held, and a letter from Harry L. Staley, president of the Rhode Island Statewide Coalition asking Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch to investigate the Charlestown Town Council, as “evidence that this group’s political objectives go well beyond that of simply being an advocacy group for ballot questions.” “They show that it is engaged in an aggressive political campaign to undermine the credibility of certain appointed and elected officials in Charlestown while at the same time planning a political strategy to elect its own candidates in the 2008 election,” Mageau said. Daniel Slattery, the group’s treasurer, said Mageau’s accusations are unfounded. The group, he said, is a citizens advisory committee and, as such, promoted ballot advocacy questions leading up to the town’s financial referendum. As for whether the group will field or endorse candidates in 2008, he said, that could happen, but no formal discussion or action has been taken. The Board of Elections could not comment on the complaint yesterday. The group “has engaged in initiating and underwriting campaigns against public officials, fundraising, distributing political propaganda…” James M. Mageau marmenta@projo.com |