Dear First Selectman Nestor,

With this email, I submit my resignation from the Weston Board of Ethics.

I came before the Board of Selectmen voluntarily in February because I knew that at that time, none of you had the full story, and that without that story, it would be impossible for anyone to figure out what had gone wrong on the Board of Ethics.

I came before you in good faith to explain, because as the Secretary of the Board of Ethics, I was responsible for creating the draft opinion that I believed at all times before it was released would be responded to by Ms. Jenner, weighed in on and revised by the entire Board of Ethics, and likely changed drastically before ever seeing the light of day.

I understood why the Town had questions, and I agreed that those should be answered. I offered candidly to let the conversation be an ongoing one. Additionally, you will recall that during that February meeting, I expressed my sincere apology for Ms. Jenner in a public, recorded meeting.

But since that day, I have been surprised and disappointed in what I perceive as a complete absence of good faith by your colleagues on the Board of Selectmen.

When I first learned that the Board of Selectmen was still considering removing the entire Board, I asked for a statement of what violations we had committed so that my colleagues and I could defend ourselves. I was informed that we would not receive one.

Nevertheless, I was heartened to learn that your colleagues were considering dropping their insistence on a public hearing to remove the entire Board of Ethics, and that Ms. Jenner would drop the Freedom of Information Commission complaint she had filed in her individual capacity against the Board of Ethics in exchange for my (and another private citizen’s) withdrawal of certain FOIA requests and for the Board of Ethics to undergo training.

I admit that I wondered what was in those FOIA responses that your colleagues did not want the public to see, but decided that if there would be no hearing to remove the Board of Ethics, that the purpose for my request was diminished. So I agreed. I thought it would be healing for the Town for all to move on rather than forcing disclosures that might cause further conflict and divisiveness.

However, over two weeks have passed since we came to this supposed informal agreement to resolve the issue of a removal hearing. Though I do not know which Selectmen wanted the agreement to be informal, that was insisted upon by the Selectmen. I assume the position was not yours, since you did not think there should be removal in the first place.

I kept my end of the bargain. I (and that other private citizen) withdrew our FOIA requests immediately in good faith. I have expressed my willingness to engage in the training.

But Ms. Jenner has not withdrawn her FIC complaint. When I asked when she plans to do so, I received no response. I interpret this as a statement that she does not intend to do so or that she intends to wait so that any remaining members will still have to devote time, energy, and resources to defending against it.

I have received no correspondence about training other than a recommendation from counsel that the Board of Ethics is not to meet until such training is complete.

I was tempted to see if good faith materialized over time. I was willing to assume that your colleagues would not slow-walk the training. I hoped that perhaps they would not effectively ensure that there was no ethical oversight for the entire Town.

However, during the May 18th meeting of the Board of Selectmen, apparently incensed that you would not disregard a petition that was sent as an exercise of free speech by over 100 private individuals, Ms. Jenner stated that she would “deal with” those who had created the petition “individually.”

I interpret that statement as a threat — to me, and to those private citizens of our Town who opposed the idea of removing an entire Board. I am unwilling to remain on this Board while to do so would let others become targets in this absolute charade.

My conviction that I and others would be targets is derived from your two colleagues’ refusal to conduct a hearing in accordance with the requirements of due process (against the advice of Town Counsel) and their relentless pursuit for months of the removal of Mrs. Judy Stripp, who left the Board of Ethics to join Board of the Republican Town Committee, and Sarah Grigerick, a young mother and dedicated volunteer.

I have not seen one piece of evidence that either has engaged in malfeasance, and I have seen several (which I believe were provided to the Selectmen) that indicate that neither was even aware of the draft I created until after it was released.

A note about Mrs. Stripp and Ms. Grigerick, who braved public smears from your colleagues and on social media for much longer than many would have the stomach to do. I have had the honor of welcoming Mrs. Stripp into my home and I hope to repeat the experience.

Mrs. Stripp, the widow of a storied State Senator and herself a dedicated public servant, gives me hope for the future of our Town. She has deep intelligence, empathy, compassion, and knows the meaning of service and ethics better than most. Her record of public service, honesty, and her nonpartisan support of our community is unimpeachable. To see politicians attempt to pillory her and drive her out of service has been absolutely galling.

Ms. Grigerick, for her part, is a dedicated community servant whose track record is only shorter than Mrs. Stripp’s because she hasn’t been alive long enough to match it. The evidence shows that she, too, did nothing wrong. She is one of those tireless volunteers who seeks no accolades, receives no laurels, and yet heretofore took enormous time out of her busy schedule because she once believed that service is its own reward. She is smart, capable, and our Town will suffer for the loss of her dedicated efforts for our community.

I do anticipate that the social media tail that wags the proverbial dog will continue to further the conspiracy theories that appear to have caught your colleagues’ fancy. Many are laughable. The conceit that I and Town Counsel are part of some cabal because Attorney Bloom drew up closing documents for my home in 2015, for example, would hardly have gotten airtime if we attended Norfield Church and is a concern to me only because we live in times where accusations like that stoke violent flames.

That said, I wish to make it clear that I am not resigning out of any belief that I or my colleagues should not serve, but simply because I have no zeal to be a political target, nor do I wish to let anyone yield to the temptation to use my presence on the Board of Ethics to justify halting all ethical oversight in this Town.

I resign in the belief that resignation ensures that your colleagues will not have an excuse to ensure that there is no functioning Board of Ethics here. It is my hope that you will be able to find volunteers now, and proceed so that the ordinary business of the Town can resume.

Respectfully,

Ruth Israely