EASTPORT – Police are investigating a threat and vandalism apparently aimed at opponents of a proposed liquefied natural gas facility at Split Rock at Pleasant Point.

Linda and Robert Godfrey discovered Thursday morning that two of their car tires had been punctured in the driveway of their Eastport home and a threatening note was left behind.

“This is a warning! Stay away from the Passamaquoddy people you and the media and your so-called lawsuit you [expletive] bitch,” the note said.

Police said they have leads.

The Godfreys, vocal opponents of the LNG plan, said Thursday they were saddened by the incident. “The perpetrator created their warning note to look like the Sipayik newsletter that is distributed each week at Pleasant Point,” Linda Godfrey said. “They cut the masthead off the tribal newsletter, taped it onto another sheet and wrote their hateful note.”

Though saddened, the Godfreys, who are members of Save Passamaquoddy Bay, a grassroots opposition group opposed to any and all LNG facilities in Passamaquoddy Bay, said they would not be silenced.

“There are people in the world who rage and who threaten and who try to stop free speech. If anything, this causes us to stand taller,” Linda Godfrey said.

The Godfreys believe that a recent television program that was repeatedly broadcast over the reservation’s closed circuit television over the weekend played a role in the vandalism. The program was put together by former tribal Lt. Gov. Eddie Bassett.”Tribal television has been broadcasting messages this past week intended to inflame this type of hateful response,” Linda Godfrey said. “While there are differing points of view on the LNG issue, no one has the right to harm, threaten or cause personal danger to other people. This is an illegal act of a desperate few. We in no way blame the Passamaquoddy people for this act. Those who did this also harm their own cause when this type of rage occurs.”

Over the weekend, Bassett revealed on television that the tribe is broke and near bankruptcy. He bolstered his assertions with audiotapes and videotapes he played from tribal council meetings and other meetings.

He also took issue with tribal LNG opponents, calling them “Islamic fundamentalist jihad” members who have “declared a holy war” against LNG. During the show he held up a photograph of Linda Godfrey and said she was part of the problem.

Contacted at the tribal office on Thursday, Bassett said he didn’t know if his show had inflamed people. “I don’t know; nobody has really shown me that they are inflamed,” he said.

He did say it was unfortunate that someone had targeted the Godfreys. “It’s unfortunate that people have to resort to that. I don’t think it’s right that people would do that,” he said.

But he also suggested that members of Save Passamaquoddy Bay may have staged the incident to curry sympathy.

“Anyone who knows us knows that this isn’t true,” Linda Godfrey said late Thursday. The local police and the Maine and U.S. attorney’s offices, she added, were looking at the incident and “their findings will speak for themselves.”

The former lieutenant governor also blamed the Godfreys for the incident. “Linda Godfrey should stop speaking for the Passamaquoddy Tribe. You read her quotes all the time. She speaks for Passamaquoddy issues, I’ve seen it, I’ve seen it in the Bangor Daily,” he said.

Godfrey, who is not a tribal member, said late Thursday that whenever she was asked to comment on tribal issues, she referred the press to the tribal members who created the grass-roots group We Protect Our Homeland. “These Passamaquoddy tribal members are more than capable of speaking for themselves,” she said.

But in her role as coordinator of Save Passamaquoddy Bay-3 Nation Alliance and as a community leader, businesswoman and U.S. citizen, she said, she had a right to maintain her freedom to organize, her freedom of association and her freedom of speech.

And, Godfrey said, she would continue to speak for Save Passamaquoddy Bay. “And our commitment to protect our bay through educational, political, legal, regulatory and diplomatic means. All of us have a right to these freedoms and the right to be safe in our own homes and communities. I absolutely maintain these rights.”

In the past two years, three developers have proposed LNG projects. Oklahoma-based Quoddy Bay LLC has entered into an agreement with the Passamaquoddy Tribe to build an LNG terminal at Split Rock, while the Washington, D.C.-based Downeast LNG hopes to build a facility in Robbinston. The latest developer, Calais LNG, plans to build a facility south of the city’s downtown area in Red Beach.

Brian Smith of Quoddy Bay LLC and Dean Girdis of Downeast LNG did not return telephone calls Thursday.

The tribe’s attorney, Craig Francis, said Thursday that the tribe did not condone this kind of behavior. “No, we definitely don’t. We didn’t expect to have anybody getting hurt physically or any damage to their property,” he said.

Francis asked that each side remain respectful and recognize that it is “OK” to disagree.

Tribal state Rep. Fred Moore also said he did not approve of such behavior. “First of all, there is no indication whatsoever that this act was perpetrated by a tribal member,” he said. “After all, nontribal members have access to media publications.

“It is most unfortunate that this debate has escalated to this level,” he added. “These aren’t reasonable people perpetrating these acts.”

Tribal Councilor Hilda Lewis, who said she was speaking only for herself, said she was appalled by the act. “I know the Passamaquoddy Tribe does not condone this behavior,” she said.

Lewis, who is opposed to LNG, said she also was concerned about Bassett’s television program. “To use the Passamaquoddy television as a propaganda machine, I think is bad. I think it further divides the reservation,” she said.

Following up on the investigation, Eastport police Officer Chris Gardner said Thursday he planned to dust the crudely written note for fingerprints.

The officer said the department was taking the threat very seriously. “We will pursue this very aggressively to make sure that this doesn’t continue to escalate,” he said.

First District Attorney Paul Cavanaugh said Thursday that if arrested, the perpetrators could be charged with criminal mischief and criminal threatening.

Although the charges would be misdemeanors, if convicted the perpetrators could be sentenced to up to 364 days in jail and fined $2,000.

Although Gardner said there were leads, he asked that anyone who may have seen suspicious activity in the area of Washington Street either late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning contact the police at 853-2544. “That may help us put this together faster,” he said.