The ex-spokesman of the group pushing to start a public utility district on Whidbey Island to take over Puget Sound Energy’s territory has added oil to the fire that ignited this weekend, when he charged the leader of the effort with accepting payments from the state PUD association.

After being “removed” by the board Saturday, and resigning himself in an e-mail on Monday, Ed Jenkins sent out another e-mail to PUD supporters, TV stations and newspapers across the state Wednesday saying that he isn’t done yet.

The e-mail starts out with “Ed Jenkins is still the director of communications. “I have no intention of giving in to outside interests,” printed in capital letters.

In his latest attack against his former allies, Jenkins continues to point fingers at Dave Metheny, the campaign director of the PUD effort, for accepting money from the Washington Public Utility District Association. Jenkins also alleges that the state organization has pressured the local group on how to run their upcoming Power Palooza forums.

Jenkins also questioned the integrity of the group, saying that they secretly met to oust him.

“The board of ‘People For Yes on Whidbey PUD’ capitulated to the pressure. When I was the last voice that wanted the meetings to be independent of outside influence and be presented in the manner that had been agreed on there was a secret meeting in an attempt to remove my voice,” he wrote in his e-mail to the media.

“The fear of WPUDA’s threat seemed to hold more importance than our original mission,” Jenkins added.

Metheny said Wednesday that the state association never threatened anybody, but had concerns with a strongly-worded presentation by Jenkins and told the board that they were uncomfortable sending representatives under the circumstances.

The board discussed the issue and put toning down Jenkins’ presentation to a vote.

“The committee voted three to two. You argue, you fight, a vote occurs and you move on. Obviously, not in this case,” Metheny said.

Jenkins said in his e-mail on Wednesday that he will not be silenced.

“I deplore having to badmouth anyone but the situation thrust on me leaves me no choice,” Jenkins wrote.

“The Board of ‘People For Yes on Whidbey PUD’ are being improperly influenced by the Washington Public Utilities Districts Association. After I refused to continue the cover-up of Dave Metheny being secretly paid by WPUDA and filed my press release, a secret meeting was held to attempt to remove me.”

Metheny said no part of the meeting was secret and neither were the payments. The state organization has said it will report the payments to the Public Disclosure Commission, the state’s watchdog on political campaigns.

Jenkins disagreed.

“They erroneously hoped that it would overshadow the seriousness of this matter. Much of this, I believe, came from WPUDA’s improper and unethical attempt to hijack our public forums through what feels like blackmail,” Jenkins wrote.

He alleges that the state association continually pressured him not to reveal Metheny’s paid status.

“Only when I brought it up again last week did Steve Johnson (WPUDA executive director) start making attempts to influence the form and content of our forums,” Jenkins said.

The board of “People For Yes on Whidbey PUD” was essentially told that unless WPUDA had control over the format and put its own content into the forums they would withdraw, Jenkins said.

Jenkins also claimed in his e-mail that the WPUDA also threatened to withhold the yard and road campaign signs that had already been printed for the group that were paid forby the association.

“I am appalled and angered that an organization whose mission is to promote public power would resort to these tactics. Perhaps it is only a few individuals and the board of WPUDA does not yet know, I hope that to be the case,” Jenkins wrote in his e-mail.

Metheny said he did not want to comment on the allegations further.

“It’s obviously not helping our cause. I’m not going to say anything to inflame Ed. He is obviously very upset,” Metheny added.

He also said that the state organization paid for newspaper ads to advertise the forums.

Jenkins also alleges that the leadership of the Whidbey group is deferring to the state group.

“I was shocked at the last legitimate board meeting when Metheny suggested that even if the WPUDA format did not get the information out clearly that it did not matter,” he said.

“If the measure … did not pass we could do it again in 2010, he said,” Jenkins wrote. “When I reminded him that by 2010 the window to secure the very low-cost power from Bonneville Power probably would close and the higher cost power might make it not possible to make it work, he still seemed unconcerned. I was shocked but then I remembered that was exactly what Steve Johnson from WPUDA had told me on several occasions.”

“Whidbey Island, you should be very angry that politics created by outsiders is creating such division and possibly effecting your right to get all the facts,” he said.

“I will not bow down to any threats from PSE or WPUDA, big organizations that do not live here,” Jenkins added. “Nobody outside this island community has any right to dictate to us.”

Jenkins said he will attempt to organize forums on his own that are immune to outside influence.

“We deserve more that being caught up in outside politics,” he said in his e-mail.

Metheny said he is saddened to see that the controversy ignited and stirred by Jenkins has started to distract people from the mission at hand — bringing locally-controlled affordable, reliable power to Whidbey Island.