EXCLUSIVE: Cleanup Company of State House Mold Has Close Ties to Mattiello UPDATED
GoLocalProv News Team
EXCLUSIVE: Cleanup Company of State House Mold Has Close Ties to Mattiello UPDATED
As GoLocal broke on Monday night, State House records were being dumped, and the Rhode Island State Police were alerted.
Single Source is run by Jack Pomeranz and his family, who has donated $1,500 to Mattiello and $900 to Shekarchi -- amounting to nearly a third of his political donations since 2005. According to the company's website, "Jack Pomeranz continues to share his disaster restoration industry expertise in the role of Single Source Executive Vice President of Business Development."
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTIn addition, Pomeranz is engaged to Mattiello’s former administrative staffer, who is now assistant to Shekarchi. She, too, is a donor to Mattiello -- having donated $350 to her former boss.
She earns $83,995.86 annually according to state records.
Pomeranz is close personal friends with JCLS Executive Director Frank Montanaro.
JCLS is chaired by Mattiello -- and presently, his leadership of the committee is being investigated by the Rhode Island State Police, as GoLocal first reported last week.
Mattiello's spokesman Larry Berman issued the following statement Monday night after State Police were investigating the possible dumping of JCLS files in a dumpster outside of the State House -- first reported by GoLocal.
"An employee in the JCLS office discovered black mold under her desk last week, and she was moved into another office. A steam leak was determined to be the cause of the mold. The JCLS office was evacuated today, the carpet was ripped out, and furniture and partitions contaminated by the mold were thrown out. All the employees were relocated while the repair work is being undertaken. The Department of Administration, which is in charge of the building maintenance, is supervising the project and is coordinating the effort," said Berman.
GoLocal has learned that the selection of the vendor to clean up the mold was made unilaterally by JCLS.
Berman tells GoLocal that the company is on the approved state vendor list.
Filippi Blasts Montanaro
House Minority Leader Blake Filippi sent a strongly worded letter to Montanaro questioning his actions regarding his actions, writing the following.
"I have come to learn that records and computer hard drives of the Joint Committee on Legislative Services (JCLS) have been removed from the JCLS office in our Staten House basement. You have provided no notice of this unusual action to me, in my capacity as a member of JCLS, and no notice to other members of JCLS.
You are a named Defendant in a pending Superior Court action, PC-2020-00508, commenced in my capacity as a member of JCLS. Of particular note is averment #19, alleging, in part, that you and Speaker Mattiello have, and continue to, unlawfully exercise the sole statutory authority of JCLS to "maintain[] the records of the General Assembly.
Even assuming you lawfully serve as the Executive Director of JCLS, the removal of JCLS records from their historical location without the permission of, or notice to, the JCLS membership, is highly improper. That you have done so in the face of the pending litigation is beyond the pale.
In addition, please be advised that we believe these relocated documents and computers contain information that directly relate to our pending litigation, and potentially, to the reported criminal investigation(s) related to the Office of the JCLS. I urge you to consult with your attorney regarding your obligation to preserve records under state law and the Superior Court Rules of Civil Procedure."
Filippi Threatens Legal Action
Filippi threatened to take legal action on Wednesday.
"I hereby direct you [Montanaro] to provide the members of the JCLS with a written log of all records and computer hard drives that were removed from the JCLS offices, their current location(s), and a list of all persons with access to these locations. Given the damage created by the presence of mold to documents and hard drives, additionally please include a log of any documents or hard drives that have been destroyed.
I also demand a written commitment that all documents and hard drives will be preserved, only accessed in the normal course of business, and that none of these items will be moved, removed or altered without prior written notice to the members of JCLS.
If I do not hear from you by 10 AM on January 29, 2020, I will seek injunctive relief in Superior Court compelling compliance with our General Laws."
Updated at 9:26 PM Updated at 7:01 AM