Town officials, residents react to Saugus FBI probe

SAUGUS – Town Manager Scott Crabtree said the state Inspector General set up his meeting Tuesday with the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a “courtesy” to discuss the three-part forensic audit that uncovered alleged financial violations.?This is my first contact with the IG that?s been assigned here ?” said Crabtree on Thursday. “It?s been ongoing since the (Department of Revenue) directed the temporary Town Manager to contact them when the forensic audit started.”Crabtree said the IG?s office “reached out to John Vasapolli, town counsel, and asked him to arrange a meeting with me as a courtesy to introduce themselves. It was a gentleman from the IG?s office and a gentleman from the FBI. They wanted to meet me and let me know that they?re going to be talking to different staff and employees, and requesting different documents.”Crabtree said both agencies have copies of the audit, but noted they didn?t give “any indication of what they were looking at specifically.”?It?s a crime against the state so (charges) would be up to them,” Crabtree said. “The town would have to evaluate if there was any professional negligence on behalf of the auditor and/or employees. That will be discussed with the Board of Selectmen.”Crabtree said it was the first he knew of the FBI looking into the audit.Katherine Gulotta, a spokesperson for the FBI, would not confirm or deny the FBI?s involvement and declined to comment on the situation. Gulotta did point to the public corruption section of the FBI?s website for further information.According to fbi.gov, public corruption can be found in “legislatures, courts, city halls, law enforcement departments, school and zoning boards, government agencies of all kinds (including those that regulate elections and transportation) and even companies that do business with government.”The site also states that the FBI will “often work in conjunction with the inspector general offices from various federal agencies, as well as with our state and local partners. And we depend greatly on assistance from the public.”Former Town Manager Andrew Bisignani on Thursday said he thinks the audit was “orchestrated for political gain.”?It?s taken seven months, rolling it out piece by piece, and I?ve never had the opportunity to address these issues,” Bisignani said. “I don?t understand why this process is continuing and why this process has taken place. I don?t know what their intentions are or what?s motivating them. My concern with the audit reports is I never had a discussion for any of the material that?s presented in these reports.”Bisignani also said the report is full of “erroneous information.”Town Moderator Bob Long said he stopped by Town Hall Tuesday afternoon and saw two big GMC Yukons parked out in front, one with a Washington license plate and the other a Massachusetts plate.?Then Tuesday night they announced the FBI had an interest in it,” said Long, Thursday. “I?m not really surprised. I think things need to be looked into. Frankly with all that time and effort and money involved ? I do think they need to follow through and see whether or not there was any wrongdoing there and I think the public expects it. Otherwise it?s one person pointing their finger at another.”Residents at the Saugus Senior Center expressed some concern Wednesday afternoon over the FBI looking into the town?s finances.Ann Waggner said she was worried about what it will “portray to other people,” while Hazel Hartigan said it was “a little scary” to have the FBI in town.?You always associate that with the national government,” Hartigan said. “So now here they are in Saugus? Let?s hope they don?t find anything.”Peter Bogdan, a former Town Meeting member and current member of the Zoning Board of Appeals, said bringing the FBI into the fray is “probably a feel-good thing.”?I think it probably makes the people who are in charge now feel good that they, the person, the people, are doing the right thing,” said Bogdan, a Saugus resident for 50 ye