Moultrie Says Mitchell ‘Seems a Little Corrupt,’ Offers Little Proof

New Bedford mayoral candidate Richard Tyson Moultrie is lobbing accusations of corruption at the current mayor.

In a surprise appearance with WBSM’s Chris McCarthy on Friday morning, Moultrie backed up his claim previously made on the air with WBSM’s Barry Richard that former mayors Fred Kalisz and Scott Lang were advising him on his campaign. In addition, he stated “there are things that seem a little corrupt” about Mayor Jon Mitchell’s administration.

McCarthy had been discussing Moultrie’s assertions about Kalisz and Lang with regular Friday guest and attorney Marcus Ferro, and replaying the clip from Richard’s show in which Moultrie said he had spoken with the two former mayors about his campaign. The candidate then came to the studio to offer further insight into what he meant by receiving "encouragement" from the mayors.

Moultrie spent the rest of the hour on the air, and toward the end of the discussion, McCarthy questioned Moultrie about his claims of “political cronyism” in New Bedford and questioning how familiar he can be with the political landscape in the city after only moving here five months ago.

Moultrie would only offer that he will be having one of his “pop up politics” events Sunday at 1 p.m. when a person that is part of his campaign will offer proof that Mitchell’s administration is retaliatory toward those who speak out against the administration.

In the closing moments, McCarthy asked Moultrie directly if he feels Mitchell is running a corrupt administration.

“Listen, what I can say is what I've been told, and from what I've been told it seems as though there is (corruption),” Moultrie said of the Mitchell administration. “There are things there that seem a little corrupt, from what I've been told."

When asked for specific examples of Mitchell's corruption, Moultrie mentioned “people bring up receiving money from Parallel Products,” but was not definitive about why it shows corruption.

Mitchell’s mayoral campaigns received a total of $450 from Parallel Products Vice President Tim Cusson in 2015 and 2017, long before the company publicly announced plans to build a bio-solid treatment facility in the New Bedford Business Park – a plan to which Mitchell has been vehemently opposed, even requesting $250,000 from the city council in order to fight the proposed project in court.

"That's not my accusation," Moultrie said twice about the idea that the donation was made with some attempt at a quid pro quo.

"It is when you make it," pointed out Ferro, as time ran out on the interview.

Mayor Mitchell declined to comment on Moultrie's statement.

Cusson replied to a request for comment from WBSM News with the following statement: "I personally contributed to Mayor Mitchell's campaign because I felt he was the person to lead New Bedford. There were no expectations."