Raimondo, Mattiello, Block and Two Political Parties Among Britt’s Clients

Raimondo, Fung, and Britt

In August of 2018, Cranston Mayor and GOP gubernatorial hopeful Allan Fung blistered Governor Gina Raimondo in a press statement for hiring political operative Jeff Britt, but in 2017 Fung twice tried to hire him to work on his campaign.

Raimondo's campaign refused to answer questions about hiring Britt and their payments.

In 2018, Fung’s campaign said, “Gina Raimondo’s shady insider connections continue.  Her latest campaign filings revealed she has hired Jeff Britt, the ultimate political backroom dealer, to be part of the campaign.  One has to wonder why she would pay for someone who is currently in the middle of contempt proceedings with the Board of Elections for failing to respond to a valid subpoena questioning his actions in a prior campaign.”

Fung’s campaign confirmed to GoLocal in 2018 that Britt and Fung met to discuss Britt working for the Fung’s campaign in late 2017 at a Panera Bread shop in Warwick. But, Fung’s campaign denies that the Cranston Mayor specifically offered Britt a job. “No money was offered,” said Andrew Augustus of the Fung campaign.

In addition, multiple sources tell GoLocal that Fung approached Britt at the Christmas party of the Providence-based law firm DarrowEverett.

The firm’s annual party is a gathering of the whos-who in the political and business world. According to sources, Fung approached Britt in front of a number of people and asked again about his availability. Fung said he was disappointed that he had learned that Britt was working for the Democratic Party.

Speaker Fox v. Storyteller Binder

It was Godzilla v. Bambi except Bambi's campaign was being run by Jeff Britt.

"Speaker Fox's Former Ally Now Running Opponent's Campaign," GoLocal wrote in 2012. 

Britt's strategy was to pound Speaker of the House Gordon Fox for his role in the 38 Studios disaster and it almost worked.

“I had never met Mark until I came back,” Britt told GoLocal in 2012. “But the 38 Studios debacle drew my attention to what was going on and having been in the State House, I knew there was only one person to blame. $75 million does not get tacked on to an [Economic Development Corporation] bill without the Speaker’s approval.”

“My message is simple,” Binder said. “If you want the person who left his district behind, the person who brought 38 Studios, who mashed up the Board of Higher Ed and the Board of Regents, who wouldn't call for votes on payday lending and gay marriage, vote for Gordon Fox. It's time for us to move ahead. If you want a progressive who is interested in making this state a better place, vote for Mark Binder.”

Ask Speaker Harwood

In 2002, Britt ran his stepfather Bruce Bayuk as a write-in candidate against the most powerful politician in Rhode Island - John Harwood.

An impossible race to win and Britt almost pulled it off.

Years later when Britt ran Binder against Fox, Harwood told GoLocal that the fact that Britt was running Binder’s campaign may cause headaches for Fox.

“I wouldn’t want to welcome an onslaught by Jeff Britt and his colleagues,” said John Harwood, who served as Speaker of the House from 1993 through 2002.

In 2002, Harwood nearly lost his House seat to write-in candidate Bayuk, Britt’s stepfather. Britt ran the campaign.

“They were throwing refrigerators at my head,” Harwood recalled at the time of the 2012 election. “They know how to fight and they will work like a dog. But I know Gordon is a very formidable candidate and it’ll certainly be a hard fought fight.”

Block v. Fung and the Emergence of Healey

In 2014, Moderate party founder and candidate for governor Ken Block made the switch over to the Republican party and primaried Cranston Mayor Allan Fung.

Who orchestrated the move and managed Block's campaign? Jeff Britt.

The race was rough and tumble and left a battered Fung bruised.

Lo and behold, who pops up in the last moment to run as a Moderate party candidate and split the General Election vote?

Bob Healey -- who garnered 22 percent of the vote ensuring a win for Gina Raimondo.

Mattiello Loses on the Machines, Wins on Paper

In 2016, Speaker of the House Nick Mattiello faced a brutal reelection campaign. Republican challenger Steve Frias -- national committeeman for the party -- ran a vigorous campaign and won the election on the machine count, but Mattiello had worked paper ballots and won the election by less than 100 votes.

The Mattiello and Frias campaigns dropped dozens of mailers to voters. One mailer in that race has now led to one of the biggest political controversies in state history and an indictment.

When Britt joined Mattiello's campaign in April of 2018 he told GoLocal, "Look, I was a Republican for a long time. I left in December because the direction of the party made me uncomfortable. The tenor and the language right now was not the party I was a member of," said Britt. "The Speaker is probably the most open, accessible Speaker we've had since I've been doing this. He might not have all the answers, but he's always willing to speak with you.  He's certainly more fiscally conservative than the past Speaker. I look forward to working with him."