On the Matter of Bordelon’s Comments

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We neither favor nor endorse candidates for election. In the case of Portia Bordelon, who is running in Tuesday’s Democratic Primary for Groton Town Council, there are, no doubt, fair reasons to oppose her candidacy.

But Bordelon’s vocal objections to the Groton Oral School project — in defiance of the legal advice of Groton Town Attorney Eric Callahan – should not be counted among them.

We believe that Callahan, at best, spoke with a surfeit of caution when he advised members of the Groton Town Council to refrain from responding to public comments at a May 4 meeting on the controversial project.

We find no convincing legal reason that would restrain Bordelon, or any other elected official, from speaking for or against the project after the agreement was finalized – in this case in fall 2019.

Callahan did not respond to a number of requests by CT Examiner to explain the basis of his advice, but our own contrary conclusions are buttressed by a review of the agreement, the views of involved state officials, by two attorneys who agreed to offer advice on the matter, and by the latest legal claims which have been made by Respler, and which do not appear to include any complaint regarding Bordelon.

So, let’s be perfectly clear: if anyone deserves to lose an election for placing Groton into legal jeopardy, look elsewhere.

As a rule, we encourage every elected official to exercise their right – frankly their duty – to speak with the public about matters of importance, and we commend Bordelon for her steadfastness in this matter.