Kordick’s Attorney And Camillo Both Want A Resolution To ‘Signgate’

By Ken Borsuk
Greenwich Times
Feb. 16, 2020
GREENWICH — Frustration is growing among all involved over the lack of resolution in the case of Greenwich Police Department Capt. Mark Kordick, who remains on paid administrative leave.
Kordick was  placed on leave on Oct. 28 after it became public that he had  placed political signs around town which made it appear first selectman candidate Fred Camillo was linking himself to President Donald Trump.
“The delay is inexcusable,” Kordick’s attorney Lewis Chimes said. “With modern legal research technology, it took me less than one hour to determine that the political signs that Mark Kordick put up as a private citizen are constitutionally protected speech, and any punishment issued by the town would be retaliatory. “
By not issuing a decision on Kordick’s employment status, the town has prevented the captain from doing his job, Chimes said.
“The Police Department should enact firm and mandatory deadlines on resolving these investigations so that they do not waste taxpayer money and misuse the power to put any officer on administrative leave in a punitive manner,” Chimes said.
A representative from the GPD could not be reached for comment for this article, but department officials have repeatedly declined to comment beyond a statement made on Oct. 29 when Kordick’s leave was first announced.
“The police administration will reserve passing judgement until all the facts are reviewed and Captain Kordick will be afforded all the due process rights in which he is entitled,” Deputy Chief Mark Marino said at the time.
Kordick has said that during an Oct. 28 meeting with Marino, he was asked if he was responsible for the signs and said that he was. Kordick said he has never tried to deny or hide that he paid for the signs.
Kordick has been a vocal critic of Trump. The controversial signs made it seem as though there had been an endorsement of Camillo, a Republican, by Trump. They linked the two together and listed a website seemingly for the Camillo campaign but which actually was an address purchased by Kordick that redirected people to a pro-Trump page.
Camillo and town Republicans immediately cried foul when the signs were put up, calling them misleading and deceptive. Camillo, a former state legislator and head of Greenwich’s Republican Party, went so far as to call it, “one of the lowest things I’ve seen in a political race.”
Kordick has defended his actions as political speech, saying that as a resident and registered voter in town he has the same rights to express his views as anyone else. Kordick has said he wanted to start a conversation about Republican support for Trump in town.
Camillo was elected by a wide margin in November’s municipal election. As first selectman, he also is police commissioner. On Friday he said he wants to see a resolution given the amount of time that has passed.
“I have said several times (to police officials) that we need to see a resolution,” Camillo said. “I just sent them correspondence about this on Thursday, and I was told it should be wrapped up shortly.”
Camillo said the ongoing internal departmental review has involved interviewing many people.
“I am frustrated by it,” Camillo said. “The fact that he has been collecting taxpayer funded paychecks for several months is infuriating to me and I look forward to seeing the investigation results.”
Camillo stopped short, however, of saying Kordick needs to be dismissed.
“I will wait to see what the results are of the investigation,” Camillo said.