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U.S. NEWS A7
Monday 1 February 2016
In Vermont, thorn in side of powerful faces criminal probe
DAVE GRAM acronym meaning “strate- The letter refers to the min- In this Sept. 17, 2012 file photo, Annette Smith watches in court
Associated Press gic lawsuit against public utes of town meetings last during a conference hearing on the recount of the Progressive
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — An- participation.” year in Morgan — where Party race for governor in Montpelier, Vt.
nette Smith has been fight- The complaint filed with the Blittersdorf has proposed a
ing the power for more state attorney general’s of- solar project near Lake Sey- Associated Press
than 15 years, tenaciously fice alleges Smith has im- mour, a prime recreation
opposing energy projects properly provided legal spot — that discuss “at-
she believes harm the envi- advice to parties before torney compensation” for
ronment or quality of life in the state Public Service Smith. Town officials called
Vermont. Board, a court-like regula- the entry an error based on
Now she is the target of a tory panel where utilities a misunderstanding.
criminal investigation into and project developers of- Blittersdorf did not return
whether her efforts consti- ten hire lawyers at $250 per calls seeking comment.
tute unlicensed legal work hour or more. Many resi- The lawyer representing
— but her allies say her only dents and small towns say him said in an email Friday
offense is too often annoy- they don’t have money he could not comment.
ing a green power industry like that, effectively barring Richard Saudek, a former
that boasts deep pockets. them from full participation Public Service Board chair-
“Even though this is a pre- in board cases. man who has also ap-
posterous charge, and will By helping draft filings and peared before it in private
likely be thrown out, its pur- giving advice to those practice, called Smith “ex-
pose will be fulfilled: to chill making appearances be- tremely knowledgeable.”
anyone’s free speech rights fore the board, Smith is But he noted that there
who dares to question the “squarely within Vermont’s can be pitfalls to going into
powerful in Montpelier,” at- definition of the unauthor- a legal proceeding with
torney Deborah Bucknam ized practice of law,” ac- amateur adviceq
wrote in an op-ed. cording to a copy of the
Smith’s efforts to give towns complaint letter sent to the
and local groups greater attorney general that Smith
say in large-scale renew- provided to The Associat-
able energy projects are ed Press. Assistant Attorney
meant to “help those who General John Treadwell
cannot afford the high vouched for the letter’s au-
priced lawyers the devel- thenticity.
opers can,” wrote Buck- The complaint portrays
nam, who has represented Smith as usually working in-
critics of a wind project in directly with those before
northeastern Vermont. the board, though it says
Smith, 59, uses a small so- on at least one occasion
lar installation to power her she attempted to directly
home in Danby, where she participate because she
milks a cow by hand and wanted to “streamline the
defies Vermont winters by process,” according to a
growing citrus — limes and transcript of a 2014 hear-
grapefruit — in a green- ing on a wind turbine in
house. But she has been Vergennes. Otherwise the
an outspoken critic of what hearing could be “very
she sees as the negative slow” while she consulted
effects of large-scale wind with a couple bothered by
and solar projects: wildlife the turbine on “questions
deaths and noise pollution to ask and things to say,”
from wind turbines, visual the letter said.
blight from sprawling solar The complaint letter was
arrays. partially redacted and
She won’t comment on the Treadwell would not say
specifics of the allegations who had sent it. But other
— “Anything I say can be documents and a footnote
used against me,” she said in the letter point to a law
— but called the investiga- firm representing David Blit-
tion “a government-spon- tersdorf, a major solar and
sored SLAPP suit,” using an wind developer.
