Apology given Lubec selectman

LUBEC — Selectman Iley Walston on Thursday publicly denied allegations of conflict of interest in his dealings with the Bangor accounting firm of Brooks and Carter. Then Walston accused a Lubec resident of speaking out without knowing the facts.

Walston directed his remarks at Pauline Piso, who last week launched a petition drive aimed at removing Walston as the selectmen’s “spokesman” in its dealings with Brooks and Carter. The firm was hired in March to conduct an audit of the towns books for 1991, after numerous financial irregularities were discovered at the town office.

Piso, an outspoken critic of the board’s actions in the wake of the discovery, claimed that Walston was familiar with the Bangor firm and had used his connections to have the firm hired for the job. According to Piso, the firm served as auditors for Farmer’s Red & White of Lubec, a store which she claimed Walston was part owner.

“Brooks and Carter has never done any work for me personally,” said Walston. “Farmer’s Red & White is a corporation which I do own stock in, as I do in eight other businesses around the country. I see no conflict of interest.”

Walston said he “didn’t know one single person at Brooks and Carter until I went up there with Norm (former Town Office Manager Normand Laberge) and almost begged them to do the audit for us.”

Piso’s petition garnered few signatures in the week it was posted. In response to the petition’s stated goal of removing Walston as spokesman regarding the audit, Walston replied, “I never have been designated or appointed as such by the board.”

Confronting Piso about the petition, Walston said, “This hurts me personally and hurts a company I own stock in.”

Piso apologized, saying she stood corrected.