Why did State Rep candidate Bob May call the Middleton Police?

Candidate's business filed a lawsuit to stop a veteran microgrow business

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By Mike Crawford

MA State Rep candidate Robert May doing a standout in Middleton, seemed like the perfect opportunity to ask questions about a 2018 land court lawsuit that his business filed against the city of Newburyport’s planning board and RiverRun Gardens, a veteran owned, cannabis micro-grow applicant.  

RiverRun Gardens is owned by Edward X. Desousa also known as BigEd and his son, a veteran, Edward S. Desousa. 

It’s important to note, Ed S. Desousa, the veteran doesn’t like to mention his vet status, he doesn’t feel that he should be awarded special rights for service. 

But looking at a candidate who blocked RiverRun while draped in the flag, I felt like it was a good discussion point. 

May in an email that was later published on his facebook page charges that I “mis-identified” myself “as a journalist requesting an interview.”

Which is weird as I politely approached May as a local journalist covering local campaigns (which is very true) and asked if he would be interested in being interviewed. 

I was seeking comment from the Republican candidate on the RiverRun Gardens lawsuit that he filed and how it contradicts with his campaign which drapes itself in the blue lives matter flag. 

At first, May seemed interested and then asked, “Which outlet?”

I handed him a “The Young Jurks” bumper sticker.

That’s when the candidate declined the interview. 

So naturally, I started the video and asked questions. As most journalists would.

With the video recording I asked, “Why are you going to pass?”

Bob May, “Well we’re doing a standout in Middleton and we’re waving at some of the cars that go by.”  

“So you’re pro-military, and pro-small business?”

“I support law enforcement 100%”.

“What about the military?”

“I support the military.”

“Do you support veterans?”

Silence……..

“You’re pro-veteran right, what about small business?”

Candidate Bob May goes silent.

“The reason I’m asking you this, friends of mine, he’s a veteran, a small business owner, you ran a campaign not to let them open in Newburyport, right? Is that correct?”

May continues to not answer.

“You don’t want to talk about that?”

“No comment on blocking a veteran owned, small business in Newburyport?”

“Why won’t you comment on it Bob?”

“So you won’t answer the voters and you want to get elected? You know what I’m talking about, why don’t you just tell me the story?”

May doesn’t answer any of the questions, he breaks his silence to attack my credibility, “Mike, I know exactly and I know you are here to antagonize me.”

“I’m here to ask you a question about the business in Newburyport.”

May cuts me off because he’s concerned about my safety, “Mike, get off the street, you’re in the street, Mike. You’re in the street, Mike.”

“Why don’t you call the police on me, you're going to call the police on me?” 

“I want to know why you stopped a veteran business?”

May again showing his inner humanity, still not answering, “Mike, why are you shaking?”

“Because I have a bad back (physical pain from standing)....”

Bob May with a slight grin, “You should probably sit down.”

“Bob why aren’t you talking?”

“I’m doing a standout today, buddy.”

“Pro veteran unless they move in next to your business right, is that what it is Bob? You love the vets until they need your help to open a business? Is that what happened? Come on, why won’t you answer, tell us your side of the story. I’m sure you have a side.”

At this point, candidate May looking uncomfortable picked up his sign to cover his face. That’s when I went into protest-mode in response to his lack of answering questions and hiding behind his sign.

I also briefly engaged in conversation with two of his supporters as May poked my camera a couple of times with his sign. He also started texting and made a brief phone call, I noted that he was “phoning a friend”.

When I announced my imminent departure, May encouraged me to stay a few more minutes. 

As I left, May followed and started recording video to my car and then two Middleton Police cruisers arrived with flashing emergency lights on.

May didn’t seem surprised that the Police were there. 

The candidate had a lot to say in his email to me which he posted publicly to his campaign facebook page, but one thing that he didn’t mention is that the police were called. Apparently calling the Police over uncomfortable questions followed up by a short, mild one person protest is actually embarrassing to a “blue lives matter” supporter? It should be. 

In the post, May claims, “I know you are retaliating against me for actions I took two years ago as the Managing Trustee for the Industrial Park Property Owner’s Association in Newburyport where Ed DeSousa was looking to locate his business, RiverRun Gardens. These actions had to do with legal/insurance issues, nothing to do with “Veteran-owned small-business", and ended with the DeSousa’s withdrawing their plan to move into the Industrial Park. Based on your friendship with the DeSousa’s, you already know that, but since that didn’t fit your agenda you decided to focus on the veteran-owned small business angle to try and discredit and embarrass me.”

May continues, “As the Managing Trustee for the Association in 2018 (a position I no longer hold, by the way), I had a fiduciary responsibility to inform the Board of Trustees and the other owners of the implications of Mr. DeSousa establishing his business there. These included a violation of our Trust Deed and the cancellation of our Master Insurance Policy.”

May doesn’t note that RiverRun had solicited other insurance companies, who offered to write a new policy and that RiverRun had also promised to cover any extra cost.

May continues, “As Managing Trustee of the Board I coordinated meetings, spoke at Newburyport Planning Board meetings, and sought advice from the POA counsel in order to gain and understand information. However, if you believe that I unilaterally had the power and authority to take the action that resulted in Mr. DeSousa moving to an alternate location, then you and Mr. DeSousa do not understand how POAs work. 

I have said publicly at POA meetings that the DeSousa’s timing was unfortunate - the current differences in Federal and State cannabis laws made our situation unique. If at some future time these differences are reconciled, our Board of Trustees would welcome a tenant like RiverRun Gardens as they would any small business. Although I have not spoken directly to either of the Ed’s in over two years, I sincerely wish them well with their business (now located at 5 Perkins Way in Newburyport where they do not have any deed restrictions).”

May references his responsibility as a trustee but the Association that he keeps noting, that he was protecting others as part of his fiduciary duties? The record shows that the association was not part of the lawsuit, only Mr. May’s personal company, REM Realty was a party to the litigation, the Association did not sue RiverRun Gardens and the Newburyport Planning Board, Mr. May’s company did. 

The lawsuit was eventually dismissed as RiverRun Gardens decided to locate to a new spot after the Association changed their by-laws to not allow any cannabis business in the park. The campaign to change the by-laws was led by Robert May. In a series of emails, May fear- mongered that they would lose their insurance among other things, if RiverRun were ever allowed to open at the industrial park. 

The REM Realty suit notes a number of complaints that just don’t match up to reality. That the lack of an additional parking study for a small micro manufacturer was needed when it was clearly not. It also complained that the planning board ruling needed to be overturned because cannabis is still technically federally illegal, it also feared the impact to his neighboring business from “noxious”, “powerful” and “dangerous” cannabis odors. 

The lawsuit is also partially a very sloppy copy and paste of a previous unrelated Newburyport lawsuit, this one filed against a different cannabis applicant, Happy Valley. The REM Realty suit mistakenly names Happy Valley repeatedly in the filing and brazenly crosses them out and writes in by hand, RiverRun Gardens in one instance. 

May reportedly made no efforts to work out the issues with RiverRun before the court filing. 

RiverRun Gardens today is three years plus waiting on their application with the state of Massachusetts and the city of Newburyport. They still haven’t been allowed to open, the move to a new location and the REM lawsuit set them back at least a year, if not for that they would likely be cultivating legally right now in Newburyport, a veteran owned business, creating jobs, tax revenue and quality micro-grow cannabis products. 

May closes the email offering that he’s, “happy to discuss any details of what transpired during the summer of 2018 with you at a mutually agreeable time and place.”

The May campaign has not responded to our request for a public discussion on The Young Jurks. 

May ends his email ominously, “In any case, please know that I intend to respond to any future attempts at your intimidating “guerilla activism” in similar fashion as yesterday.”

Will he call the police and then not want to talk about it later?