PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Mayoral Candidate Craig Gaetani is representing himself in District Court as he fights charges of threatening and harassing a city employee.

 

Gaetani was in court on Thursday for a pretrial conference and signed a waiver of counsel. On Thursday, the state requested documents relating to a show-cause hearing that found there was enough evidence to charge Gaetani with the single counts of threat to commit a crime and making harassing phone calls.

 

Last week, the West Street resident was arraigned on the charges, pled not guilty, and was released on personal recognizance. His next court date is for another pretrial conference on Aug. 28.

 

According to court documents, Gaetani is accused of threatening a clerk in the fire inspector's office after repeated phone calls. The charges originated from a July 3 incident in which Gaetani repeatedly called the inspector's office, called the woman an "asshole," and then threatened to take away her job and benefits once he becomes mayor. 

 

That led to a report being filed listing numerous calls Gaetani placed to the office, in which the accuser says he threatened to burn down her home and shoot her.

 

In a show-cause hearing, a clerk magistrate determined there was enough evidence to warrant a criminal hearing.

 

Gaetani, however, says the charges are "trumped up" by the mayor and other city officials to damage his campaign for the corner office. Gaetani says he will beat the charges and that he never threatened the city employee. He said he would represent himself because he is "better than attorneys."