Ellsworth city councilors on Tuesday released a redacted summary of the 176-page report that led to Councilor Steven O’Halloran’s official sanction last week.
Following an hour-long executive session, city councilors voted 6-1 to release the four-page summary of the investigation into O’Halloran, who is accused of mistreating city employees. O’Halloran opposed the motion, arguing the full investigation should be released. Only city councilors and their counsel have seen the full report.
The investigation found that O’Halloran made “repeated and inflammatory public communications and accusations” alleging city officials had “violated the charter and ordinances,” according to portions of the report previously shared by councilors.
Many of the complaints involved O’Halloran criticizing city staff and processes, he told the Bangor Daily News last week. He suggested the city’s procurement process “lacked integrity” and described City Hall as “shady.”
Although the summary contained few new details about the investigation, during a public hearing Tuesday, the city manager said O’Halloran had admitted he visited an employee’s home and photographed their license plate. O’Halloran said he was trying to determine whether the staff member had two city-owned vehicles. The report details the visit, O’Halloran said.
In March, the city hired an outside investigator to produce the report on O’Halloran’s alleged misconduct toward city employees, which councilors have equated to bullying.
The names of city employees who complained of O’Halloran’s conduct are redacted in the summary for confidentiality.
O’Halloran, who was officially censured in May, said he was not personally interviewed during the investigation.
“The interviewed employees expressed frustration and aggravation that has reportedly led to emotional distress, anxiety and personal offense, stemming from unflattering and accusatory statements and unprofessional behavior attributed to them by Mr. O’Halloran,” the summary says.
The report says O’Halloran is “at a minimum, performative in his communication style.”
“Since last Monday’s meeting, I have wanted the investigation to be public, and they don’t want to release it,” O’Halloran said before Tuesday’s session. “Mr. and Mrs. Ellsworth paid for this secret investigation.”
Council Chair Patrick Lyons said the city would release the cost of the investigation and related legal fees once they’ve been billed.
The council only released a summary of the investigation on the advice of the city’s attorney and human resources director, Lyons said.
O’Halloran publicly accused staff of corruption during an April 2025 meeting, after which his unprofessional conduct escalated, Deputy City Manager Sara Devlin said on Tuesday. Devlin asked the council to address O’Halloran’s conduct more than a year later.
“This is not about politics, this is not about how votes are cast, this is not about freedom of speech,” Devlin said. “This is about the work environment being created for city employees. It is our responsibility — as leaders — to ensure that staff are treated professionally and respectfully.”
Last week, councilors raised concerns over some of the report’s findings: one employee was “seeking no contact” with O’Halloran and others were considering escalating the matter to the court system. One employee withdrew their statement to the investigator out of fear of retaliation, according to the report.
O’Halloran allegedly interfered with various city operations, like bidding and real estate transactions, which compromised the “city’s negotiating position,” Lyons previously said.
O’Halloran’s attorney said the report alleges the councilor harassed and “micro-managed” city employees.
