West Hartford Republican Town Councilwoman Mary Fay has filed a police report against West Hartford resident Mark Walsh for harassment after Walsh confronted her via telephone on a radio show over some incendiary messages Fay had allegedly sent during her 2022 campaign for state comptroller.
Walsh and his attorney met with West Hartford police detectives on July 7 to get the details of the complaint and give their side of the story. While detectives indicated they generally do not release the complaint until after the case is closed, Walsh was informed that Fay had accused him of contacting her “relentlessly, daily, by the minute,” something Walsh and his attorney categorically deny and claim they can prove.
Walsh, who frequently clashes with politicians across various political stripes through his postings on X and radio call-ins, confronted Fay over a series of messages she sent to the heads of the Connecticut chapter of the Log Cabin Republicans during her 2022 campaign for State Comptroller during Fay’s regularly scheduled guest appearance on the Mornings with Gary Byron radio show.
According to emails sent to Fay’s campaign in July of 2022, those messages from Fay were “appalling,” “derogatory,” and “homophobic,” and included a request that Fay’s campaign return their donation. Fay was apparently upset over not being endorsed, according to text message screenshots.
Fay did not deny the emails were hers during the radio confrontation, but said it was a “personal matter,” and she wasn’t going to discuss it on air. Walsh’s attorney played a recording of the show for detectives during the meeting. Walsh claimed he was invited to call into the radio show to confront Fay as it was “good radio.”
Reached for comment via email, Fay confirmed she had filed the police complaint.
“Those of us in volunteer public service positions should not shy away from asking for help from law enforcement when we, and especially our families feel we are being stalked, harassed, or threatened by a disgruntled member of the public,” Fay wrote in an emailed statement. “I am grateful to the West Hartford police for making sure that my family and I can feel and remain safe.”
This is the second time Fay has filed a police report against Walsh for harassment.
Fay filed a complaint against Walsh in November of 2023 shortly after she was re-elected to the West Hartford Town Council and after Walsh posted video of her going on “profanity-laced rant” when she wasn’t made Republican minority leader.
According to the November 15, 2023, police report, Fay alleged “online harassment for the past two and a half years,” and Fay forwarded to the officer eleven “email conversations from Mark,” and “brought up concern for social media posts,” regarding Fay, her partner, and their daughter. Walsh indicated he had mentioned Fay’s daughter only because there were children present during Fay’s “rant.” The investigation was closed, as there was no criminal violation.
“Mr. Walsh is a long time resident of West Hartford and has been very vocal with his concerns about town government and government officials for the past several years,” the case report from 2023 stated. “I reviewed those emails and social media postings and found that Mr. Walsh didn’t violate any criminal statutes.”
Claims of harassment and threatening have a high bar, particularly when it comes to public figures and elected officials. Although the Connecticut General Assembly has considered bills to define online harassment, particularly against legislators and public officials, they were ultimately dropped. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that for words to constitute a threat, the individual must show intent to threaten, although interpretation is still open to courts.
William Maisano of Guilford was arrested for telling school officials there would be “hell to pay,” in an email and was ultimately given probation. Gov. Ned Lamont had activist Kevin Blacker detained over emails he sent regarding his opposition to the State Pier project in New London.
Walsh and his attorney claimed that Walsh is merely exercising his free speech rights and is regularly posting to social media, calling into radio stations, and confronting politicians of different political stripes during public events over their positions, and indicated they may pursue a counter-complaint as they believe Fay gave false information in her complaint.
Fay also has an outstanding complaint with the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) against the West Hartford Republican Town Committee over her position on the West Hartford Town Council, claiming the RTC was discriminating against her — something the RTC says is “unfortunate.”
Fay’s CHRO complaint against the RTC resulted in another fiery on-air confrontation between Fay and RTC attorney Kyle Zelazny during another episode of the Gary Byron show.
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