Does Providence Have an Ethics Problem?

Does Providence Have an Ethics Problem?

The majority of the high profile political ethics lapses and violations emerging this year across Rhode Island seem to be overwhelmingly tied to elected officials in Providence.

Yes, there is former Bristol Representative Ray Gallison who resigned as House Finance Committee Chair -- and his House seat -- in the midst of the session for a yet unknown reason. And former Rep. Don Lally is facing charges from the State Ethics Commission tied to taking a job on Governor Gina Raimondo’s staff, but overwhelmingly the depth, diversity, and sheer number of issues are tied to Providence.

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At the most recent count, there are five significant controversies tied to campaign finance reports, ethics reports, tax payments, and potential voter fraud.

For decades, the conventional wisdom was that former Mayor Vincent "Buddy" Cianci’s reign created a culture of ethical misbehavior. “Rhode Island, for the most part, lacks a competitive two-party system. The result is that our politics are less ideological and more transactional in nature. Therefore more people use their office not as a means to achieve ideological goals, but as a means to personal enrichment,” said John Marion, Executive Director of Common Cause RI.

Recent Years

The recent examples come just months after Speaker of the House and long-time East Side Representative Gordon Fox resigned and then pleaded guilty to federal charges.  

Last year, Southside Representative Joe Almeida pleaded no contest to misusing campaign contributions. Smith Hill Representative John McCauley had a recent stint in federal prison (unrelated to his elected position), and Providence City Councilman Sam Zurier came under fire for trying to solicit a campaign contribution for fixing the sidewalk of a disabled constituent.

One of the most recent and high profile ethical allegations is tied to Providence Democratic State Representative John Carnevale, who is now being investigated by the Providence Board of Canvassers for questions about his residency. “I think they made an excellent decision to investigate Carnevale, there's certainly probably cause," said GOP Chairman Brandon Bell on Tuesday, who filed the complaint against Carnevale, about the Board of Canvassers' decision this week to continue with the investigation -- and hold a hearing next month. "I'm really glad they chose to move forward. Voter fraud is serious."

Hope for Reform

Under Speaker Nicholas Mattiello, there have been two major ethics reforms. In July of 2014, former Governor Lincoln Chafee signed the bill promoted by GOP Gubernatorial candidate Ken Block and ushered through the General Assembly by Mattiello to abolish the master lever. 

"Why is there still so much corruption in Providence? Because so many Democrats, so many incumbents, go unchallenged," Bell told GoLocal. "This is the problem with so much concentrated power in Providence. The city has what, 14 seats? Anastasia Williams has been there almost 25 years? I can't emphasize enough [that the Carnevale ethics complaint] is as much about setting an example as anything else."

In May, House and Senate leadership put forth legislation to restore the Rhode Island Ethics Commission oversight over the General Assembly  -- and eliminate legislative immunity from Ethics Commission oversight through a constitutional amendment. 

“No elected official is above the law,” said Mattiello at the press conference this spring for the legislation.  “Some contend that legislative immunity yields a fuller debate, but that debate must be safeguarded against conflicts of interest and self-interest. The state’s Ethics Code sets forth high standards and I believe all legislators should be held to those standards."

The legislation passed the General Assembly and now goes before voters in November for approval.

“Of course the vast majority of public officials serve with honesty and integrity, but the nature of our politics in Rhode Island means the few bad apples are not rooted out as often by the natural competition that occurs elsewhere,” said Marion.  

“Political corruption is to Rhode Islanders as smog is to people who live in Los Angeles: nobody complains of its absence, but when it rolls around everyone feels right at home,” Philip Gourevitch wrote in The New Yorker.