East Lyme ― A local gadfly already barred by a judge from harassing town employees was arrested at the polls Tuesday after police say he acted in a belligerent manner toward a registrar of voters and then refused police instructions to leave.

Police said David Godbout called police officers names, confronted 20th State Senate District candidate Martha Marx and another woman at the community center, and yelled at a student at the high school who was holding a sign.

Godbout, 61, of 15 Cardinal Road, was charged with disorderly conduct and violation of conditions of release. He was released on a $2,000 bond and is scheduled to be arraigned in New London Superior Court on Nov. 19.

A court order related to a separate pending charge prohibits him from harassing town employees and to get a police escort any time he enters Town Hall.

Democratic Registrar of Voters Wendi Sims said that at about 11:30 a.m. Godbout arrived at the registrars’ office in the Community Center to voice his concerns about being asked to provide identification while attempting to cast his vote at the high school. She said he refused to sign an affidavit that would have satisfied the identification requirements.

Godbout then advanced on Republican Registrar of Voters Mary Smith in the office and began hovering over her, according to Sims.

Smith described Godbout as agitated and angry.

“I felt very intimidated,” she said.

The registrars said Godbout refused to leave when asked to do so by them and the police.

Smith and Sims said Godbout makes his presence known at every November election, but has not been arrested on Election Day until now.

After Godbout’s arrest, Smith phoned the Office of the Secretary of the State to warn officials that Godbout was expected to file a complaint alleging he’d been denied the right to vote.

Acting police Chief Michael Macek on Tuesday afternoon said that before his arrest Godbout was at the high school yelling at a student holding a sign. He also acted in an aggressive manner toward multiple candidates for office. He said they declined to press charges.

Macek said Godbout then unleashed a barrage of hostilities toward four police officers who responded to the community center after he refused to leave the registrars’ office.

Godbout referred to the officers, including two sergeants, as “goons” and other names, according to Macek.

“At that point, they were like, ‘enough’s enough,’” Macek said.

Nick Menapace, a candidate for the 37th House District, said he was at the community center Tuesday morning outside the 75-foot restricted area when Godbout “was getting in the face” of 20th State Senate District candidate Martha Marx and another woman.

He said he asked Godbout to back up. That’s when Godbout began calling him names, then did the same to a female police officer.

Marx declined to comment about the incident Tuesday.

A history of confrontation

Godbout has a reputation for making prolific Freedom of Information requests and complaining to various state agencies when the requests aren’t fulfilled.

Named as the first official “vexatious requester” in Connecticut, Godbout has been called out by the Freedom of Information Commission for a pattern of “recurring, repetitive and unrelenting” requests for public information intended to harass town employees.

Godbout was charged by East Lyme police in January with criminal impersonation related to allegations he digitally altered his caller ID in phone calls to Town Hall.

In the arrest warrant affidavit, police accused Godbout of making a phone call to then-First Selectman Elect Dan Cunningham using “spoofing” technology that allows people to conceal their identity and phone number by falsifying the caller ID. Police said Godbout made it look like the call was coming from the first selectman’s administrative assistant in order to get Cunningham to pick up the call.

Godbout in 2019 was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct for an incident at the Town Hall involving Sandra Anderson, the administrative assistant to three successive first selectmen, whose phone number was spoofed.

Anderson in court documents at the time said Godbout was looking for a waiver from printing and scanning fees for public documents related to the proposed public safety complex. After she directed him to the first selectman at the time, Godbout began to yell, swear and call her names, including “(expletive) retard.” His aggressive behavior led her to push a panic button in her office.

e.regan@theday.com