Submitted by Jim Finn, Cos Cob
Fred Camillo and the Republican Town Committee (RTC) are stuck in the Strait of Mianus.
Much like the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, First Selectman Fred Camillo can’t figure out how to save face and end his expensive, already moot
His requested relief from the Court was a judicial declaration that Paul Cappiali was duly appointed to the BOE by the Board of Selectmen. And that all meetings Cappiali wasn’t seated at, to be declared “null and void.”
He’s already gotten half of what he requested in court: Cappiali joined the BOE after running for an uncontested seat in the November election.
So, what does a “win” for Fred look like?
All that remains is voiding BOE votes. That might be a ”win” for Fred—but that is hardly a win for our Town.
In case you missed it, yesterday the Greenwich Free Press published an explosive article At RTM Budget Overview Committee, Frustration over Legal Fees Heats Up, Again May 4, 2026) about the RTM Budget Overview Committee’s review of the First Selectman’s legal budget. It would appear that the town’s legal budget has become a slush fund for political retribution and Fred’s “sue at any cost” campaign against the BOE.
The most stunning aspect of this lawsuit is the fact that the First Selectman helped himself to our taxpayer dollars to sue the BOE, with no legal authority to do so.
Just in case you’re not keeping a running tab on this legal nonsense, let’s take a stroll down memory lane…
Sign-gate, when former police captain Mark Kordick anonymously put up Trump/Camillo signs around town, Fred and Paul jumped into action to get to the bottom of this diabolical caper otherwise known as free speech. This excursion cost the town more than $1.5 million.
The malfeasance of the First Selectman and his loyal sidekick, Paul Cappiali, cost taxpayers a lot of money to find out that Fred and the entire RTC are, in fact, Trump supporters. Guess Kordick was right.
Project Veritas. Not only did the First Selectman demand a ridiculous state investigation that went nowhere, it also cost taxpayers $300,000 for Fred and his right wing zealots to stand in front of of Cos Cob school as they continued their assault on public education. Turns out, that stunt was just the beginning of the Republican’s assault on public education – something that Greenwich resident, Linda McMahon, has taken to a new level with the dismantling of the Department of Education.
BOE lawsuit. It has already cost the town $500,000 as of the end of March. The town attorney suggested that the legal bills could run as high as $25,000 per month. Twenty-four hours after the RTM BOC meeting, Fred filed another motion seeking to remove indemnification for only Democrats on the BOE, including one who is no longer there. How Trumpian. Pure retribution.
GREENWICH TAXPAYERS SHOULD DEMAND THAT THE FIRST SELECTMAN DROP THE LAWSUIT IMMEDIATELY.
Please feel free to reach out to the First Selectman on his Friday morning radio show or just send him an email. Last I checked, he works for us.
So, since Fred and the RTC have come to power, the First Selectman has personally cost taxpayers $2.6 million to smear his critics.
From Town Hall to the State House to the White House, Republicans in this Town need to understand that the First Selectman’s job or the State Senate seat is no longer a divine right. We are a long way from George H.W. Bush who these same Republican’s want to lionize with a statue while ignoring the mandates of his landmark civil rights law, the American’s With Disabilities Act.
In fact, since 40 percent of the town’s registered voters are “unaffiliated,” it might be time for someone to run locally as an independent.
Finally, as a measure of how far today’s RTC has fallen, consider this: Prescott Bush, the father and grandfather of presidents, was once the chairman of the RTC. Today, the RTC chair is Paul Cappiali.
This is not the year to pull the lever in the voting booth for any Republicans. Not one.
Jim Finn is a resident of Cos Cob and a former RTM member. He is an unaffiliated voter.