MISSING: Diossa's Travel Records for More than 30 Trips and Tens of Thousands of Dollars in Costs
GoLocalProv News Team
MISSING: Diossa's Travel Records for More than 30 Trips and Tens of Thousands of Dollars in Costs
He is the Democratic candidate for Rhode Island General Treasurer.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTMissing public documents relating to more than 30 trips by Diossa were requested by GoLocal under the Access to Public Records Act (APRA) on August 12, 2022. He also traveled about ten additional times and there may be additional trips that have no records.
The city has repeatedly failed to produce the requested public documents.
In a letter to Central Falls Mayor Maria Rivera, GoLocal is demanding public documents that the news organization requested now more than ten weeks ago.
In the letter to Rivera, GoLocal detailed the missing public information originally requested in August.
GoLocal gave Rivera until Monday, October 31, to provide the missing documents.
SEE A LIST OF MISSING INFORMATION AND TRIPS BELOW IN THE LETTER TO MAYOR RIVERA
Dear Honorable Maria Rivera:
On August 12, 2022, now more than two months ago, GoLocal filed an Access to Public Records Act (APRA) request with the City of Central Falls requesting documents regarding the use of public monies for travel by former Mayor James Diossa.
The city, after ten working days, took an additional extension of 20 working days, which is allowable by law.
The materials initially sent to GoLocal on September 26, 2022, were almost all non-responsive.
GoLocal then notified City Solicitor Matthew Jerzyk that we believed the response was incomplete and non-responsive.
On October 4, Jerzyk forwarded an additional 37 pages -- well beyond the deadline of the state's APRA statute.
"The former Mayor's former administrative assistant discovered a folder of travel documents delivered to me on 10/3/22, which are attached hereto," wrote Jerzyk.
GoLocal believes the city has intentionally withheld documents that are responsive to the initial request of August 12.
We have gone through all of the travel materials, cross-referenced them with Diossa’s Rhode Island Ethics Commission financial disclosure statements, and developed the following questions (please see below).
As this request is reasonable and falls under the statute, and is in the public interest, we are asking for your office to respond to the following no later than the end of the day on October 31.
The questions de facto are identical to the August 12 request.
If we do not receive responses, on Tuesday, GoLocal will be filing a complaint with the Office of the Attorney General or shall seek relief in the courts.
It is implausible that a chief executive could literally spend tens of thousands of dollars of public dollars and that there are no records of the trips, the costs, the dates, and the source of funds used to pay for these trips.
In the public interest and to avoid litigation, I hope your administration will immediately provide these public documents.
Please provide response to the following:
Taiwan (2nd Trip in 2019)
Dates were not provided by Diossa.
Did the City pay for any portion of the trip? If so, please provide those costs.
Did Diossa receive any payment from the city for the trip, and if so how much and for what?
England
Dates were not provided by Diossa.
According to Diossa’s Ethics Statement, the third party paid $460.
Did the City pay for any portion of the trip? If so, please provide those costs.
Did Diossa receive any payment from the city for the trip, and if so, how much and for what?
Puerto Rico
Dates were not provided by Diossa.
Did the City pay for any portion of the trip? If so, please provide those costs.
Did Diossa receive any payment from the city for the trip, and if so, how much and for what?
2019
Mexico
Dates were not provided by Diossa.
Did the City pay for any portion of the trip? If so, please provide those costs.
Did Diossa receive any payment from the city for the trip, and if so how much and for what?
April 12-23, 2019
Taiwan (According to a city document, “Yip & Company -- see page 37 "2nd Supp”)
According to Diossa’s Ethics statement, the cost paid by the third party is airfare $2003, hotel $1180, and lunch and dinner $400.
Did the City pay for any portion of the trip? If so, please provide those costs.
Did Diossa receive any payment from the city for the trip, and if so, how much and for what?
March 25, 2019
AIPAC
Did the City pay for any portion of the trip? If so, please provide those costs.
Did Diossa receive any payment from the city for the trip, and if so, how much and for what?
March 10-13, 2019
Național League of Cities, Washington, DC
Did the City pay for any portion of the trip? If so, please provide those costs.
Did Diossa receive any payment from the city for the trip, and if so, how much and for what?
February 14-17, 2019
NALEO Meeting, Central Florida
Did the City pay for any portion of the trip? If so, please provide those costs.
Did Diossa receive any payment from the city for the trip, and if so, how much and for what?
January 26 to February 3, 2019
Israel
Did the City pay for any portion of the trip? If so, please provide those costs.
Did Diossa receive any payment from the city for the trip, and if so how much and for what?
January 23-25, 2019
US Conference of Mayors, Washington, DC
Did the City pay for any portion of the trip? If so, please provide those costs.
Did Diossa receive any payment from the city for the trip, and if so how much and for what?
November 27-28, 2018
NALEO Commission Meeting
Did the City pay for any portion of the trip? If so, please provide those costs.
Did Diossa receive any payment from the city for the trip, and if so, how much and for what?
2018
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Diossa’s Ethics statement discloses that the third party paid $3,500.
Please provide the dates of the event.
Did the City pay for any portion of the trip? If so, please provide those costs.
Did Diossa receive any payment from the city for the trip, and if so, how much and for what?
October 11-12, 2018
Celebration de Exelencia Conference
Washington, D.C.
Did the City pay for any portion of the trip? If so, please provide those costs.
Did Diossa receive any payment from the city for the trip, and if so how much and for what?
July 10-July 12, 2018
“Mayors on Entrepreneurship”
Kansas City, MO
Did the City pay for any portion of the trip? If so, please provide those costs.
Did Diossa receive any payment from the city for the trip, and if so, how much and for what?
April 26-28, 2018
National Policy Institute on Workforce Development/NALEO
Los Angles, CA
Did the City pay for any portion of the trip? If so, please provide those costs.
Did Diossa receive any payment from the city for the trip, and if so how much and for what?
April 15-22, 2018
Arjona, Columbia
Did the City pay for any portion of the trip? If so, please provide those costs.
Did Diossa receive any payment from the city for the trip, and if so how much and for what?
February 5-13, 2018
CNU-NE 2018 Urbanism Summit, Malaysia
Did the City pay for any portion of the trip? If so, please provide those costs.
Did Diossa receive any payment from the city for the trip, and if so how much and for what?
January. 2018
U.S. Conference of Mayors, Washington, D.C.
January 24-26
Did the City pay for any portion of the trip? If so, please provide those costs.
Did Diossa receive any payment from the city for the trip, and if so, how much and for what?
Did the City pay for any portion of Sandra Cano’s trip -- according to a registration document, she accompanied him.
December 6-9, 2017
Mayor’s Institute on City Design, Tampa, Florida
Did the City pay for any portion of the trip? If so, please provide those costs.
Did Diossa receive any payment from the city for the trip, and if so, how much and for what?
October 20, 2017
Diossa attended the Metro Young Latino Professional Association meeting in Omaha, NE
Did the City pay for any portion of the trip? If so, please provide those costs.
Did Diossa receive any payment from the city for the trip, and if so, how much and for what?
According to the Marriot Receipt (page 5 of the Supplemental), there were two guests, who were the other guests?
There was a payment of $309.35 by Diossa to the City of Central Falls — do you have proof that the check was cashed?
October 18-19, 2017
Hartford Foundation
According to Diossa’s Ethics filings, the sponsor of the organization paid $1,000 for hotel costs.
Then in the records received by GoLocal in the second set of documents, there is a check from Diossa to Central Falls for $309.35.
Was the check cashed? Please provide proof.
And was the $1,000 payment from the Hartford Foundation paid directly to Diossa? Did he keep those funds?
July 20-22, 2017
NLC Leadership, Pittsburgh
Did the City pay for any portion of the trip? If so, please provide those costs.
Did Diossa receive any payment from the city for the trip, and if so how much and for what?
June 23-26, 2017
Diossa attended the US Conference of Mayors Meeting in Miami Beach
Did the City pay for any portion of the trip? If so, please provide those costs.
Did Diossa receive any payment from the city for the trip, and if so how much and for what?
Sandro Cano attended this event according to the 2nd Supplement, did she pay for her trip, and if so, please provide any copies of payments of any reimbursement by Diossa or Cano.
June 18, 2017
New Leaders Council Retreat, Washington, DC
Did the City pay for any portion of the trip? If so, please provide those costs.
Did Diossa receive any payment from the city for the trip, and if so how much and for what?
June 10-11, 2017
Flight by Diossa from PVD to Washington DC, Returning June 11.
Did the City pay for any portion of the trip? If so, please provide those costs.
Did Diossa receive any payment from the city for the trip, and if so how much and for what?
2017
There is no date provided for a trip to Taipei, Taiwan. Please provide.
Improperly reported Ethics Commission Financial Disclosure Statement of 2017
Did the City pay for any portion of the trip? If so, please provide those costs.
Did Diossa receive any payment from the city for the trip, and if so, how much and for what?
Diossa’s Ethics statement says the third party paid $1,950 — then Lt. Governor Dan McKee reports that the third-party group paid $3,500 for his travel, hotel, and food. Thus, did the city of Central Falls pay the difference?
Did he take any other trip related to his office, and if so, to where for what, and what was the cost?
2016
Date Unknown - reported on Diossa’s Ethics Commission Financial Disclosure Statement for 2016
Charter School Growth Fund
San Francisco, CA
Did the City pay for any portion of the trip? If so, please provide those costs.
Did Diossa receive any payment from the city for the trip, and if so, how much and for what?
November 8-15, 2015
Israel
Improperly reported Ethics Commission Financial Disclosure Statement of 2016
Did the City pay for any portion of the trip? If so, please provide those costs.
Did Diossa receive any payment from the city for the trip, and if so, how much and for what?
Did he take any other trip related to his office, and if so, to where for what, and what was the cost?
2014 or 2015?
It is unclear if the following trip took place in 2014 or 2015 — it is listed on Diossa’s Ethics Commission Financial Disclosure Statement 2014, but lists a 2015 date.
Charter School Growth Fund
Houston, Texas
Did the City pay for any portion of the trip? If so, please provide those costs.
Did Diossa receive any payment from the city for the trip, and if so how much and for what?
2014 of 2015
It is unclear if the following trip took place in 2014 or 2015 — it is listed on Diossa’s Ethics Commission Financial Disclosure Statement 2014, but lists a 2015 date.
Central Falls Housing Authority
Baltimore, Maryland
Did he take any other trip related to his office, and if so, to where for what, and what was the cost?
2013
Dates unknown trip is referenced on Diossa’s Ethics Financial Disclosure Statement
Focus, Wayne State University - Detroit
Did the City pay for any portion of the trip? If so, please provide those costs.
Did Diossa receive any payment from the city for the trip, and if so, how much and for what?
Did he take any other trip related to his office, and if so, to where for what, and what was the cost?
2012
According to Diossa’s ethics filing, he did not travel via a third party.
Did he incur any travel for city business paid for by the City of Central Falls?
And, for all of these requests/clarifications, please provide the source of funds - federal, state or municipal funds.
This was clearly delineated in the August 12 APRA request.