JWJ Education Fund → Food AND Medicine: $10,000
Jobs With Justice Education Fund (DC) grants $10,000 to Food AND Medicine for a 50% discount program for food stamp users at Bangor farmers markets.
Source: John T. Gorman Foundation grant database
JWJ Education Fund → Food AND Medicine: $15,000
Jobs With Justice Education Fund grants $15,000 to Food AND Medicine for delivering healthy, locally grown food to SNAP users.
Source: John T. Gorman Foundation grant database
JWJ Education Fund → Food AND Medicine: $15,000
Jobs With Justice Education Fund grants $15,000 to Food AND Medicine for COVID-19 food support — providing food and volunteer support to Bangor area food pantries.
Source: John T. Gorman Foundation grant database
Carson Identified as Communist Party of Maine Political Director
Communist Party of Maine Instagram (@communistpartyofmaine) posts video of Daniel Carson giving a speech in his capacity as Political Director of the Communist Party of Maine — before his election to the City Council.
Carson later ran on the Democratic ballot line while holding a formal CPUSA leadership role.
Source: Communist Party of Maine Instagram, May 8, 2023
2023 Council Approves BARN ARPA Funding ($415,600)
The 2023 Bangor City Council votes to approve $415,600 in ARPA funding for BARN (Bangor Area Recovery Network). The council at the time consisted of Fournier, Tremble, Davitt, Sprague, Schaefer, Hawes, Yacoubagha, Leonard, and Pelletier. Walker was NOT on the council — she was not elected until November 2025. All ARPA funds were required to be obligated by the federal deadline of December 31, 2024. Walker's current employment by BARN (as Peer Services Coordinator, confirmed on BARN's website as of May 2026, no documented start date) is a documented network connection relevant to her current council role overseeing ARPA project completion and future grant decisions.
Walker did not vote on this grant — she was not on the council in 2023. Her current employment by BARN is a documented network connection. Joe Leonard was the only current (2026) councilor seated at the time of this vote.
Source: City of Bangor ARPA beneficiary records; BangorMike.com ARPA Timeline
2023 Council Approves Food AND Medicine Community Gardens ARPA Grant
The 2023 Bangor City Council votes to approve Food AND Medicine's Community Gardens program ARPA grant. The council at the time consisted of Fournier, Tremble, Davitt, Sprague, Schaefer, Hawes, Yacoubagha, Leonard, and Pelletier. IMPORTANT: Carson, Walker, Faloon, and Beck were NOT on the council — they were not elected until November 2025. Joe Leonard was the only current (2026) councilor seated at this time.
Joe Leonard — who had received a Food AND Medicine endorsement in his 2021 election — was seated on the 2023 council and voted on this item without recusing himself. Carson, Walker, Faloon, and Beck were not on the council and did not vote on this grant.
Source: BangorMike.com ARPA Timeline (Aug. 14, 2023 entry)
2023 Council Approves Food AND Medicine Workforce Navigator ARPA Grant
The 2023 Bangor City Council votes to approve Food AND Medicine's Workforce Navigator program ARPA grant. The council at the time consisted of Fournier, Tremble, Davitt, Sprague, Schaefer, Hawes, Yacoubagha, Leonard, and Pelletier. IMPORTANT: Carson, Walker, Faloon, and Beck were NOT on the council — they were not elected until November 2025. Joe Leonard was the only current (2026) councilor seated at this time. Combined total ARPA to Food AND Medicine: $336,342.
Joe Leonard — who had received a Food AND Medicine endorsement — was seated on the 2023 council and voted on this item without recusing himself. Carson, Walker, Faloon, and Beck were not on the council and did not vote on this grant. The conflict for Carson (Board Director) and the other 2025-elected councilors is their ongoing votes on future grants and opioid funds — not these 2023 ARPA votes.
Source: BangorMike.com ARPA Timeline (Sep. 25, 2023 entry); The Maine Wire, May 2026
Council Approves $250,000 ARPA for Public Restrooms
The City Council votes to approve $250,000 in ARPA funds to install up to six public restrooms in Bangor parks. Councilor Walker votes yes. The restrooms are later documented as de facto injection sites with needles and drug paraphernalia found inside.
Walker is employed by BARN as Peer Services Coordinator (confirmed per BARN's own website as of May 2026; no documented start date). BARN operates within the same harm-reduction ecosystem that benefits from the restrooms. NOTE: This vote occurred in January 2024 — Walker was NOT yet on the council (she was elected November 2025). This event is included to show the pre-existing ecosystem she operates within.
Source: BangorMike.com, Jan. 8, 2024; Maine Wire documentation
Food AND Medicine Campaigns for Beck (2024 Election)
Food AND Medicine endorses and campaigns for Michael Beck in the November 2024 Bangor City Council election. Beck wins a seat and is sworn in approximately November 13, 2024.
Both Food AND Medicine ARPA grants ($75,000 on Aug. 14, 2023 and $261,342 on Sep. 25, 2023) were voted on before Beck was seated. Beck did NOT vote on any ARPA grants to Food AND Medicine. Beck filed a conflict of interest disclosure with the City Clerk upon taking office and recuses himself from all Dignity First matters.
Source: Eastern Maine Labor Council endorsement records
Bangor Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Committee Formed
The City of Bangor forms an advisory committee to recommend how to spend $2M+ in national opioid settlement funds. Councilor Susan Hawes is appointed as chair. Angela Walker serves as a member.
Hawes will later vote as a councilor to approve the same recommendations she authored as committee chair.
Source: Bangor Daily News, Jun. 26, 2025
JWJ Education Fund → Food AND Medicine: $10,000
Jobs With Justice Education Fund (DC) makes a $10,000 grant to Food AND Medicine — the same year Food AND Medicine receives $336,342 in ARPA funds from the City of Bangor.
Food AND Medicine simultaneously receives funding from a national DC labor organization AND the City of Bangor, all controlled by the same Jack McKay leadership team.
Source: Kindora grant tracking database, 2025
Penobscot County Opioid Committee Meets in Secret
The Penobscot County Opioid Settlement Committee — which includes Angela Walker and Jamie Beck (wife of Councilor Michael Beck) — is reported by the Bangor Daily News to have initially met in secret, raising transparency concerns.
The committee recommended opioid funds to recovery organizations in Walker's professional network.
Source: Bangor Daily News, Aug. 4, 2025
Council Approves Zoning Change for Needlepoint Sanctuary
The City Council votes to approve a zoning change allowing Needlepoint Sanctuary to reopen its syringe program at a new location. Councilor Beck votes yes. Needlepoint Sanctuary lobbied the council from the Peace and Justice Center's address at 96 Harlow Street. Beck has a documented connection to the Peace and Justice Center as a member/attendee (2018 Facebook post); a 'former director' claim has been disputed by Beck and is not confirmed by any primary source.
Beck did not disclose his ties to the Peace and Justice Center (Needlepoint's lobbying base at 96 Harlow Street) before voting.
Source: City of Bangor council records, Oct. 2025
Food AND Medicine Campaigns for Carson, Walker, Faloon (2025 Election)
Food AND Medicine endorses and campaigns for Daniel Carson, Angela Walker, and Susan Faloon in the November 2025 Bangor City Council elections. All three win seats and are sworn in November 10, 2025. The organization knocked on 3,000+ doors for endorsed candidates.
All ARPA grants to Food AND Medicine ($336,342) were voted on by the 2023 council — before Carson, Walker, and Faloon were seated. The conflict is their ongoing votes on opioid settlement funds and future grants without recusal, particularly Carson's Board Director role at the organization.
Source: Maine Wire, Food AND Medicine endorsement records
Joe Leonard Wins Re-Election with Food AND Medicine Endorsement
Joe Leonard wins re-election to the Bangor City Council with endorsement from Food AND Medicine and the Eastern Maine Labor Council.
Leonard was seated on the 2023 council and voted YES on both Food AND Medicine ARPA applications (Aug. 14 and Sep. 25, 2023) while having received their endorsement. He did not recuse himself.
Source: Eastern Maine Labor Council endorsement records
Carson Wins City Council Seat — CPUSA Celebrates
Daniel Carson wins election to the Bangor City Council on November 4, 2025, and is sworn in November 10, 2025. Peoples World (the CPUSA's national publication) publishes an article explicitly identifying Carson as a CPUSA member who won elected office. The NRCC describes him as 'a leader within the Communist Party of Maine.'
Carson ran on the Democratic ballot line while holding a formal CPUSA Political Director role.
Source: Peoples World, Nov. 6, 2025; NRCC, Nov. 7, 2025; Bangor Daily News, Oct. 1, 2025
Beck Drafts ICE Cooperation Ordinance
Councilor Michael Beck authors and personally drafts an ordinance limiting Bangor city employees' cooperation with federal ICE agents. The ordinance passes 6–3 on March 9, 2026, with Bangor preemptively complying with Maine's state law (effective Jan. 11, 2026) restricting ICE cooperation.
Source: Spectrum Local News, Mar. 11, 2026; News Center Maine, Feb. 9, 2026
Council Approves $641,000+ in Opioid Settlement Fund Recommendations
The City Council votes to approve the Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Committee's recommendations, distributing $641,000+ to 16 organizations. Councilor Hawes — who chaired the committee — votes yes without recusing herself. Needlepoint Sanctuary receives $34,000; PCHC receives $50,000; Wabanaki Public Health receives $115,976.
Hawes chaired the committee that made these recommendations and then voted to approve them. Carson's Finance Committee allocated funds to Needlepoint Sanctuary, an organization he has ties to. Zero recusals.
Source: City of Bangor opioid settlement fund records, Mar. 2026