Wyman Westberry (born May 25, 1941) is an American businessman, conservationist, and United States Army veteran, who came to public attention in the 1970s when he raised concerns about the Gilman Paper Company's corporate practices related to environmental pollution, tax evasion, and political corruption.
[1][11] Westberry contacted the project's members to bring attention to the 18 million gallons of wastewater that Gilman Paper Company generated daily and discharged into the St. Marys River without treatment.
Those employed by Gilman Paper Company included local politicians, such as the City of St. Marys mayor Richard Daly and Georgia State Representative Robert W.
[4][17] After his termination, Westberry encouraged his friend and local physician, Carl Drury, to run for the office of state representative from the 66th District, which included Camden, Brantley, and Charlton counties.
[18] Using leaked documents provided by Westberry, Drury's campaign became a vocal critic of Harrison's involvement with Gilman Paper Company and received statewide attention.
[4][16][17] After winning the election, state representative Drury requested investigation of Gilman Paper Company's affairs, ranging from taxes to pollution control.
[1][14][19] Later that spring, Mike Wallace and the film crew of CBS Evening News 60 Minutes visited St. Marys to interview Gilman Paper Company's executive vice president and general manager, George Brumley, and report on the allegations waged by Westberry and Drury.
[2][16] With national publicity and activity in the state legislature at its peak, Gilman Paper Company supervisor, William (Tommy) Thomas, offered his fellow mill employee, Lawrence Brown, $50,000 to kill Westberry.
The FBI and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation provided Brown with covert listening devices to record his conversations with Gilman Paper Company's supervisor Thomas, manager Brumley, and attorney Harrison.