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Resident accuses local officials of stealing town funds during public comment
Summary
At the July 14 Village of Woodstock trustees meeting, resident Nicholas Selton accused named trustees and a town official of misappropriating taxpayer money to pay legal bills and demanded an investigation; the board paused the meeting and later entered executive session on unrelated pending litigation.
Nicholas Selton, who identified himself as a Woodstock resident, used his allotted public-comment time to accuse a town official, “Mister Duffy,” and several trustees of misappropriating taxpayer funds to pay legal bills. “It has now been proven that mister Duffy has stolen money from the town of Woodstock to pay for legal bills to achieve his desired outcome,” Selton said during public comment, naming specific trustees and urging the board to require restitution.
Chair interrupted Selton several times and then recessed the meeting briefly; trustees subsequently moved into an executive session later in the agenda for attorney–client communications and pending litigation (a separate matter described by the chair). The record shows no formal investigation motion, restitution order, or vote arising directly from Selton’s statements during the meeting. The board did not adopt any formal finding about Selton’s allegations on the record during the session.
The accusation raised immediate pushback in the room and prompted trustees to pause and seek legal counsel in executive session. The transcript contains the claimant’s allegation verbatim but does not include evidence produced during the meeting that substantiates the claim; trustees told Selton that no proof of illegal action had been received by the board in the forms the board expects. The meeting minutes and any subsequent board communications would be the appropriate public records for tracking whether an official inquiry or referral to law-enforcement or auditing authorities is opened.
