This article appeared in The Standard-Times on Aug. 10th, 2005.
 

Morrissey asks mayor to rein in Leontire
By AARON NICODEMUS, Standard-Times staff writer

NEW BEDFORD -- Mayoral candidate Matthew A. Morrissey has called on Mayor Frederick M. Kalisz Jr. to "disassociate" himself from political adviser George J. Leontire after the candidate said Mr. Leontire threatened him at a parade this past weekend.

Mr. Morrissey said that in a brief discussion at the Feast of the Blessed Sacrament on Sunday, Mr. Leontire shook his hand and said, "I'm going to (expletive) kill you," and added that "I'm going to destroy you. ... When we are done with you, you will have no future."

Mr. Morrissey said he took the tone of Mr. Leontire's words to mean kill and destroy in the political sense, not a physical threat. He said he will not file any charges. But he said Mr. Leontire's words "went beyond the pale."

Mr. Morrissey wrote to Mayor Kalisz: "I would like to believe, Mr. Mayor, that you do not endorse Mr. Leontire's behavior, however, in the absence of a timely and public reprimand, I must conclude that you do support his outrageous actions."

Mr. Leontire, while acknowledging that a conversation took place, vehemently denied making any threat. He said he simply told Mr. Morrissey that "we" -- the Kalisz campaign -- "are going to beat you in this campaign."

He said Mr. Morrissey said to him: "Your career is all done, you're all done in this city," to which Mr. Leontire said he replied, "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm retired."

Mr. Morrissey has denied saying to Mr. Leontire that he was "all done in this city."
Mr. Leontire also alleges that in the conversation Mr. Morrissey discussed a then-unpublished Standard-Times story regarding Mogall.com, the Internet company he founded in 2000. Mr. Morrissey, in his written version of Sunday's conversation, did not mention that discussion.

"He's just incredible, incredible. He's a child who needs to grow up," Mr. Leontire said of Mr. Morrissey. "I'm tired of candidates trying to use me to run for mayor. He's a pathetic excuse for a candidate. Is this the kind of fortitude that a mayoral candidate should have? That's the kind of fortitude a kindergartner should have. Let Mr. Morrissey be confronted by 200 angry police officers and firefighters instead of George Leontire out on the street."

Mr. Leontire said that Mr. Morrissey's latest accusations against him are part of a coordinated attack, one that began several months ago. "He is trying to make me the issue in this campaign. That is his entire campaign strategy," Mr. Leontire said of Mr. Morrissey.

In a letter to Mayor Kalisz, Mr. Morrissey said Mr. Leontire has, "sought to intimidate good people who have chosen of their own free will to support my candidacy. For too long, this has been the stuff of New Bedford politics and I urge you to demonstrate true leadership by putting a stop to it. I urge you to publicly reprimand Mr. Leontire for his atrocious behavior and once and for all disassociate yourself and your campaign from him -- today."

Mayor Kalisz declined to comment on the issue.

Other than Mr. Leontire and Mr. Morrissey, there were two witnesses to the exchange, both workers for Mr. Morrissey's campaign.

Mr. Morrissey's campaign manager and brother-in-law, Jeffrey Batstone, and Morrissey campaign volunteer Joyce Goodman said they were close enough to hear the conversation. Mr. Batstone snapped a photograph of the exchange with a digital camera.
The Morrissey and Kalisz campaigns have been trading accusations for a week now. Mr. Morrissey began by saying Mayor Kalisz had "squandered the public trust" with "ethical lapses" regarding campaign finances and the procurement of development. The Kalisz campaign fired back with accusations that Mr. Morrissey had misrepresented the success of an Internet company he founded five years ago.

Mr. Morrissey said his desire to bring Mr. Leontire's comments to light is to determine whether Mayor Kalisz is endorsing Mr. Leontire's behavior.

"He cannot continue to get away with this separation between Fred and George, when there is none," Mr. Morrissey said. "My hope is that Fred takes ownership of this. I believe that Fred has to answer for George Leontire. This language isn't acceptable, even in a heated political campaign in New Bedford."

Aaron Nicodemus can be reached at anicodemus@s-t.com

This article appeared in The Standard-Times on Aug. 10th, 2005.