The City has hired Attorney Russell Hilliard to represent a Right to Know Petition alleging record violations within Director Cumming’s Economic Development office. Mr. Cumming built a publicly financed Art Center, denying the public access to financial and construction records, and installed barriers downtown without proper noticing of public meetings. Attorney Bolton and Attorney Leonard are also involved with this.
I filed a motion to recuse both Attorney Bolton and Attorney Leonard from representing this case. Both are repeat offenders in disregarding Court rules. Their lack of candor with the court has resulted in extraordinary legal bills for the city. Both have been on a mission to repeatedly arrest me in City Hall for no justifiable reason. Their personal vitriol and animus directed at me, a citizen, has made them both unreasonable and unable to perform their duties. Reasonableness and the law should go hand-in-hand.
Attorney Hilliard, in representing both city attorneys, has cited their First Amendment Rights to freely express themselves. This comment was chilling. Both Attorneys have written public comment policy/ordinance that violates citizens First Amendment Rights to free speech. Nashua has changed its public comment policies to public compliment policies. Only Board-approved niceties can be expressed.
In 2020, Attorney Leonard crafted a revised public comment policy for the Board of Assessors, adding the language:
- Remarks shall be civil; rude or profane remarks are prohibited; and
In 2022, Attorney Bolton crafted a revised public comment ordinance (O-22-024), limiting free speech:
(10) Crude, vulgar, profane and/or obscene remarks are prohibited: and
(11) The presiding officer has authority to terminate the remarks of any speaker when such remarks do not adhere to this ordinance or other applicable law.”
In both cases, I pointed out the unconstitutionality in approving policies that restrict speech. The Boards would not strike the language and the Attorneys have adopted a “sue us” mentality. The City has the upper hand in this game as lawyers are in short supply to assist. Few are up for the challenge of taking on Nashua and understand they are subject to heavy smearing when engaging with this City.
Friday, to my pleasant surprise, the ACLU and the NEFAC (New England First Amendment Coalition) sent a letter to Aldermanic Board President Lori Wilshire and copied Attorney Bolton pointing out the unconstitutionality of Ordinance O-22-024.
The Board has not respected the viewpoints of citizens on this matter. Let’s see how they view the interpretation of the law from two higher powered organizations. What’s your guess?
A Lack of Transparency is a Symptom of Dishonesty
