Maturo Claims Press Is Sensationalizing His Sex Harassment Cases

EAST HAVEN, CT — Mayor Joseph Maturo is fighting back - and blaming the press - after reports that more women are accusing him of sexual harassment. Maturo settled a case against former town employee Francine Carbone last week, with the town agreeing to pay Carbone $175,000 and medical benefits for her and her husband.

Following that settlement, Patch reported first last Friday that a second East Haven woman, Roxanne Melillo, had submitted an affidavit saying she, too, was sexually harassed by Maturo and was planning to testify to that at Carbone’s trial.

• “I found Joseph Maturo to be condescending toward women”;
• “He told me at the Mayor’s Ball in January 2012 that he hoped he would be in a boat with me because he knows he would not drown. I believe this comment was directed toward my breasts”;
• “During the campaign Joseph Maturo also told me that when he won the election I could work in his office under the desk and that we could go in the closet to have a good time.”

“I told the investigator that if everyone does not believe that Mayor Maturo did the things that Francine Carbone said that he did then they are stupid.”

Following Patch’s story, WTNH-TV reported on Monday that three more women had come forward to charge Maturo with sexually harassing them. Only Melillo was named in that report.

Last Friday, at a press conference in front of East Haven Town Hall, Democratic Town Chairman Marc Conte called for Maturo’s “immediate resignation” and said he, not the town’s taxpayers, should pay for Carbone’s settlement.

Maturo just issued this statement about WTNH’s report. Maturo made no comment about Patch’s story about Melillo.

“Following a report yesterday by WTNH that three more women have come forward with accusations against Mayor Joseph Maturo, Jr., Mayor Maturo denied the allegations and slammed the station for "inaccurate reporting" in order to sensationalize the issue at the expense of the Town.

“Maturo explained, "WTNH has exhibited a complete lack of due diligence in its shoddy reporting on this issue, especially in its latest report of three new female 'accusers,' including Roxanne Melillo, a second former and disgruntled Town employee, and an allegedly anonymous third accuser."

“Maturo continued, "Roxanne Melillo is a disgruntled former political running mate who requested and was denied a job in my office following the 2011 election and who was asked to resign as the Town Council clerk due to performance issues in 2012. Last November, only days before the municipal election and on the heels of the explosion of the #metoo movement, Ms. Melillo took to 'Facebook Live' to lodge outrageous and unfounded allegations of sexual harassment against me in a desperate and petty attempt to derail my re-election campaign."

“Maturo added, "Although none of her allegations have ever been corroborated by a single member of the campaign team, Ms. Melillo has now renewed her outrageous allegations in the hopes that the settlement of the Carbone litigation will somehow legitimize her ludicrous and unfounded claims. All major media outlets declined to publicize her claims when she made them last November just days prior to the municipal election and should continue to see through them now, as they are all categorically false."

“The alleged second of the three "new" accusers is reportedly another former Town employee who retired in early 2014 just prior to a Loudermill hearing to consider her termination. In seeking her termination in 2014, Town officials alleged, among many things, that she failed to open and read over 1,226 emails from members of the administration and town residents, constituting a serious dereliction of her duties as the head of one of the Town's major constituent services departments.”

Maturo continued, "The second alleged 'new' accuser was disclosed in the Carbone litigation as a prominent witness who would have allegedly been introduced to try to corroborate Mrs. Carbone's allegations. Despite being characterized by WTNH as an 'accuser,' she has made no independent allegations of misconduct against me. If she were to raise any such allegations, they would also be categorically false."

Maturo noted, "According to WTNH, the third alleged new 'accuser' has chosen to remain anonymous and not disclose the nature of her allegations, a right I certainly respect but which undermines my ability to address any such allegations."

Maturo added, "Sadly, all of Mrs. Carbone's allegedly favorable witnesses were either disgruntled current or former employees with axes to grind or partisan enemies with pending lawsuits or land appeals against the Town. Mrs. Carbone and her counsel are now parading those witnesses out before the press, despite the fact that they all would have been impeached and discredited had the case actually moved forward."

Maturo concluded, "I am disappointed that Ms. Melillo has chosen to advance these fictional, sensational, and outrageous allegations. I am equally disappointed in the sloppy reporting that has sensationalized and mischaracterized the number and nature of the allegations raised. However, I will not allow any of these ridiculous allegations to distract my team and I from continuing to efficiently and effectively serve the residents of our great community."