Leaders are scheduled to decide next month whether to throw the city council’s top Republican out of office after he put up profanity-laden Facebook posts implying that “bullying and intimidation” by the Democratic administration caused another alderman’s death.
Impassioned New Britain residents argued both from sides at a recent council meeting, with some calling for leniency for Common Council Minority Leader Robert Smedley while others demanded punishment.
Smedley, who had posted under the name Colin Rober, attributed his posts to stress as well as being in grief at the unexpected death on Feb. 3 of Jerrell Hargraves, 36, a fellow Republican alderman.
When the council convened, Smedley read a letter that he described as an apology, but never explained his rationale for the posts nor disavowed the insinuations.
In a party-line vote Wednesday, the council agreed it will schedule a hearing before mid-March and decide whether Smedley should face punishment up to the maximum level possible, removal from office.
The charter doesn’t give much leeway, though, as it offers no option for suspension; the council can remove him from office under certain circumstances, but otherwise appears empowered to do no more than issue a censure.
The controversy appeared to be widening the already-deep partisan rift in New Britain, and holds the possibility of affecting former Mayor Erin Stewart’s bid for governor. Smedley is a close friend and was a key political ally during her tenure at City Hall, and was linked to many of the economic development accomplishments she campaigns on.
Smedley and Hargraves were two of the few New Britain Republicans re-elected to the council in the Blue Wave election in November that made Democrat Bobby Sanchez mayor. Hargraves stayed on as the city’s human rights and opportunities officer, but like all other New Britain employees was abruptly working for a new boss after years of Stewart’s leadership.
The city announced Feb. 3 that Hargraves had died, and the obituary listed no cause, saying only that he’d passed “unexpectedly.”
Sometime afterward Smedley posted on Facebook under his Colin Rober account, which despite having a different name uses a photo of Smedley. New Britain Democrats posted screengrabs of his initial post as well as his responses when resident Marie Lausch condemned it.
“Something is not right here. Jerrell Hargraves was the happiest, laid back person I have know for 10 plus years … and now to have to see him deal with a toxic administration in the mayors office led by Jessica Gerratana and her husband Greg Gerratana … Who allegedly went and told him he should stop talking or lose his job … AND now to find him passed away without any known medical issues … [expletive] ALLL OF YOU.”
When Lausch asked if he was alleging a crime and whether he’d gone to the police, he replied “Marie – shut the [expletive] up. You don’t actually have any clue what’s going on.”
“Rude as usual, class will tell,” she answered.
“exactly- same as your class – the bulling and shaming lead to his death. [expletive] off you tired grandma,” Smedley replied before adding “matter a fact – you are ruthless. Jarrell is dead because of people like you.”
The heavily Democratic council called last week’s meeting to discuss punishment, and partisan battle lines were quickly drawn.
Sharon Beloin-Saavedra, an alderwoman in Stewart’s administration and last year’s Republican mayoral candidate, promptly posted a video from her vacation in Puerto Rico condemning the meeting as “A political trial. This is absolutely outrageous …nothing that he said in his Facebook post rises to the legal level of being removed from office.”
The local Democratic Facebook page said Smedley’s actions are “unbecoming of an elected official” as well as inappropriate for a school district employee; Smedley is a facilities manager for the city school system.
Most speakers at the meeting criticized his remarks and tone, but varied widely on what should happen next. Numerous Republicans and former members of Stewart’s administration said removing him would violate the will of voters in Ward 4, where he was elected. Many speakers praised Smedley for having a long history of public service.
“I do not support Alderman Smedley’s comments but he came here and he has apologized,” said former Alderman Danny Salerno, who was a close ally to Smedley and Stewart during his eight years on the council. “Give Alderman Smedley another chance. He’s certainly proved himself for all these years on this council.”
But Violet Jimenez Sims, a former Democratic school board member, took a different view.
“Alderman Smedley used his public platform to suggest without evidence that members of the current administration were connected to the death of a colleague. He directly blamed individuals, used profanity and repeatedly insulted a resident,” Sims said. “That was not private grief. It was a public official using the authority of his position to amplify accusations and inflame divisions.”
Speakers from both sides agreed that Hargraves held an uncommon ability to cooperate across party lines and work on behalf of residents.
“In his too brief life Alderman Hargraves exemplified what my Rotarian friends strive for: “service above self,’ ” Democratic Alderman John McNamara wrote on his New Britain Progressive page two weeks ago. “He reliably served his constituents and the whole community with distinction and respect for others in more than 20 years at City Hall.”
But the controversy following his death appears to be part of a widening partisan rift. Earlier this week, Sanchez announced he’d put Republican Tax Collector Cheryl Blogoslawski on paid leave, saying his administration was investigating what he called “years of alleged financial malfeasance.”
Many city Democrats quickly took the position that this showed bad management by Stewart, while Stewart’s defenders slammed the action as a political smear. The GOP Town Committee promptly issued a lengthy memo claiming there’s been a pattern of political retaliation and instability under Sanchez’s new administration.