In what appears to be an ongoing battle against misinformation, members of the Sumpter Township Board of Trustees again corrected and disputed information published by Trustee Peggy Morgan in a local newspaper.
Township Supervisor Tim Bowman noted that Morgan had claimed in a letter that an investigation into a lewd and threatening phone call made to him by losing candidate for treasurer Sheena Barnes had been closed and no charges filed. Bowman was noticeably upset by the false claim that no charges were being filed and Morgan's suggestion that he should be charged with filing a false police report.
“That is all lies. Me and my family are the victims. You wrote these lies. Just lies,” Bowman said.
“Where did you get that information. It's just garbage and I'm tired of it.”
Trustee Matt Oddy was also critical of Morgan's false claims regarding Bowman and her assertion that the board was “sabotaging” the water department.
“We have a board member publishing incorrect information about the supervisor's case. This is unbelievable that a township official would do this. This has to be dealt with,” he said. “Do you know the investigation is closed? You lied. It is unethical and irresponsible for a board member to comment on an ongoing investigation and making statements that are untrue,” Oddy said. “As a board member we are supposed to conduct ourselves at a higher ethical level.”
Morgan refused to comment on the criticism when Oddy repeatedly demanded to know where she got the information.
Public Safety Director/Police Chief Eric Luke also demanded an answer from Morgan as to the source of the false claims she made. He addressed her and the board asking to whom she spoke and pointedly asking her for the source of the information she published. He said the criminal case against the former candidate was at the office of the prosecutor and was not closed.
Again, Morgan declined to comment.
Oddy said Morgan's claims were patently false as was her charge that the members of the board were attempting to “sabotage” the treasurer's office by the re-assignment of a clerk.
Trustee Don LaPorte attempted to calm the situation suggesting that the board meeting was not the venue for the discussion which prompted Oddy to explain that this was a matter of the unethical conduct of a board member and the place for the discussion was at the board level.
“I think every board member should be appalled at this conduct,” he said. “She can't and won't defend her conduct and apparently thinks it is a big joke.” He added that Morgan's conduct was “victim bashing.”
“You're making a determination of who's guilty,” he told Morgan, “Without including the truth.”
