King Responds to GoLocalProv Investigation

King Responds to GoLocalProv Investigation

Kerry King, the former chief legal advisor to Gov. Don Carcieri who steered a $1.5 million state contract to the law firm of a friend and campaign contributor, responded to GoLocalProv’s investigation into the deal.

King, who is now running for General Treasurer, released a statement through his campaign, claiming that the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation selected the law firm, K&L Gates, to represent it in pursuing a claim under one of its insurance policies.

“K&L Gates is recognized as a leading firm in insurance liability law; it was selected because of this outstanding reputation, which was demonstrated by its recovery of the maximum amount under the policy,” the campaign said.

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However, in a previous interview with GoLocalProv, King admitted that he had reviewed the firm’s qualification and recommended Carcieri approve the K&L Gates for the work. A lead attorney in the case, Thomas F. Holt, Jr., is friends with King and a $1,000 donor to his 2006 campaign for lieutenant governor.

King’s campaign also said taxpayers had “benefited from K&L Gates expertise, which won a multi-million dollar settlement to “help reimburse for the shenanigans and mischief which occurred at the landfill for many years.”

K&L Gates won a $5 million settlement, but ended up taking $1.5 million of that as its fee—a fee that King said he helped negotiate.