Marlborough Supervisor Acknowledges Cease-and-Desist Notice to Online Group

Updated: 10/21/2025 5:08pm: minor edits.

At this week’s Town of Marlborough Town Board meeting, Supervisor Scott Corcoran admitted that a cease-and-desist letter threatening legal action which had been sent to two resident admins of the local Facebook group Marlboro/Milton Moms & Dads was his decision and may have been a mistake.

The letter, first reported in The Founding Farmers post “Marlborough Seeks Removal of Online Allegation Against Building Inspector,” raised concerns among residents that Supervisor Corcoran was deploying town resources to silence public criticism of his brother, Building Inspector and Ulster County Legislator Thomas Corcoran Jr.

Both the Supervisor and the Building Inspector are at the center of controversy after allegations of corruption and abuses of power were referred to State Troopers, the Attorney General, and the State Comptroller over the past month.

The letter that Supervisor Corcoran refers to was a “cease and desist demand”, sent by town attorney Kyle W. Barnett, of Van Dewater & Van Dewater LLP. In that letter, the town threatened residents that, “if you choose not to comply […] the Town of Marlborough has asked us to communicate to you that it will pursue all available legal remedies, including seeking monetary damages”, warning that “potential liability and exposure under such legal action could be considerable”.

Facing the risk of considerable and costly legal action, the admins complied with the demands and stepped down from their positions in the group.

Supervisor Corcoran admitted during the October 14^th meeting that he authorized the letter, stating, “I made that decision, and that was the only thing the town paid for,” in response to questions about whether public funds were used to censor community members. He went on to concede that it was an error in judgment, saying, “I probably shouldn’t have done that, and I own that mistake. And I apologize for that mistake if I made that mistake. But it was one letter.”

Corcoran also sought to downplay the tone of the correspondence, which included language suggesting possible financial or legal consequences for the recipients. “There was never going to be a follow-up to that letter,” he said. “I made that clear, and I made that clear to the attorney.”

The cease-and-desist letters still fall under the scope of New York’s anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) law, which prohibits government officials or entities from using legal threats to deter citizens from exercising free speech on matters of public concern. The Supervisor’s admission that he decided to send the letter without ever intending may be an example of such a threat.

The meeting drew a crowd of more than 100 residents, with security checks conducted at the entrance, an uncommon measure for a local session that reflects heightened local tensions. The high turnout followed weeks of public discussion surrounding allegations of corruption within town offices.

A full recording of the meeting is available on the Town of Marlborough’s official YouTube page.