EXCLUSIVE: Raimondo Named Convicted Drug Dealer, Marijuana Consultant to State Parenting Board

EXCLUSIVE: Raimondo Named Convicted Drug Dealer, Marijuana Consultant to State Parenting Board

GoLocal has learned that William Cotton, who Governor Gina Raimondo appointed to the state parenting board for education, is a convicted LSD dealer and a marijuana consultant.

Cotton, who is the registered agent for B&B Consulting, which is a medical marijuana consulting center in Warwick, has two felony arrests.  The first was in 1989 for manufacture and sale of LSD (acid) by the Portsmouth Police, and the second in 1990 for felony possession of a schedule 1 controlled substance by the Warwick Police. 

He pled no contest to each charge and served time in prison and subsequent probation. He was represented for the drug dealing charge by then private criminal attorney David Cicilline. Today, Cicilline is a Congressman from Rhode Island in the 1st District.

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“I’ve always been very open about those, from when I was first appointed until now,” said Cotton.  “I was 18 at the time, I was following the Grateful Dead, and I made some mistakes.  But that was twenty-five years ago.  The whole point about incarceration is rehabilitation, is it not?  Look at Buddy Cianci.  He made his mistakes, he did his time, and he came back.” 

Cotton said he thought the timing of people bringing the issue to light now was “political.”

“I’m very vocal in the medical marijuana advocacy, and especially what’s going on right now in the state,” said Cotton.  “It doesn’t surprise me in the least that this is coming up when it is.”

Appointment to Council

Cotton was reappointed by Raimondo to the twenty-one member Family Engagement Advisory Council as a parent representative in January. 

“I’ve been involved in education since my son was born.  I’ve been married for twenty-two years, and I haven’t gotten into any trouble during that time,” said Cotton. “I was on the policy board for Child Inc. Head Start, and I’ve been involved with the board there for a good six years.  Again, those arrests are going back twenty-five years.  It used to be that after a number of years, you didn’t have to worry about it.  But I get it.”

“Look, one of the few reasons I’m doing what I'm doing with education, is there aren't enough parents in my situation, especially fathers, that get involved in the education policy arena on strictly volunteer basis.  And one of the reasons why is that a lot of people have gotten into trouble when they’re young, and this sort of thing holds people back," said Cotton. "It’s precisely why I got involved, to change this — to be involved with education, be involved with my son, and be part of that decision making process.”

Cotton noted that before being appointed by Raimondo, he had been appointed to the Advisory Council by then-Senator Lincoln Chafee.

“Chafee knew about my past, and it wasn’t a problem,” said Cotton. “It seems that this issue just comes up when I’m involved with something politically.  I’ve been outspoken since the Governor’s proposal in the budget to tax [medical marijuana] caregivers. And I’ll keep working to do what’s right.”