The finance chief of Concord, Massachusetts, argues that town leaders attempted to push him out of his job when he declined to engage in “unethical and potentially illegal conduct.”
Anthony Ansaldi, who has been on paid leave since June, has filed a whistleblower notice alleging that he had uncovered “many deficiencies and improprieties” in how Town Manager Kerry Lafleur handled town finances before he arrived on the job in 2023, according to local news outlet the Concord Bridge.
As of the outlet’s reporting last week, Ansaldi was still employed by the town, though an attorney told the Concord Bridge the town would comply with “due process obligations” in the event of a termination. As of Tuesday morning, Ansaldi is still listed on the town’s website as CFO.
In the whistleblower notice, a lawyer for Ansaldi said the town made “unwarranted” Social Security payments for non-pensionable employees, according to the Concord Bridge. The notice also said the town “ran a deficit for pandemic-related expenses budgeted under federal grants,” the news outlet reported.
Ansaldi’s attorney told the Concord Bridge that he also planned to file a whistleblower lawsuit.
A lawyer for the town has rejected Ansaldi’s allegations, the Concord Bridge reported.
Attorneys for Ansaldi and the town of Concord did not respond to requests for comment as of Tuesday morning.
The news comes amid the town’s plan to roll out a new “payment in lieu of taxes” program for local nonprofits. Such programs, also known as PILOTs, are intended to help municipalities supplement revenue streams from otherwise tax-exempt entities.
Whistleblower claims from CFOs, meanwhile, are not uncommon, and such cases highlight the risks that finance chiefs face. The former CFO of Sienna Heights University in Michigan, for instance, said she was placed on unpaid leave after filing a whistleblower lawsuit against the school. The university is set to close at the end of the 2025-2026 academic year due to financial and operational challenges.
The former CFO of animal welfare group ASPCA also filed a whistleblower suit against the organization shortly after he was fired in May. In that case, former CFO Gordon Lavalette claimed ASPCA did not follow proper bidding protocols and awarded contracts to the chief executive’s friends.
