RI State Police Exploring Mattiello’s Interference in Convention Center’s Discipline of Crony Demers

RI State Police Exploring Mattiello’s Interference in Convention Center’s Discipline of Crony Demers

GoLocal has learned from multiple sources in law enforcement that the Rhode Island State Police have begun to review activities by Speaker of the House Nick Mattiello’s office, in its effort to influence and minimize disciplinary actions by the Rhode Island Convention Center and its management group against James Demers.

Demers, the Convention Center's Security Director, has been a close personal friend of Mattiello and Demers’ son works in the State House. Demers was recently placed on administrative leave.

On Wednesday, GoLocal published excerpts of a letter from Demers’ co-worker Amanda Marzullo Wilmouth, the Assistant General Manager of the Rhode Island Convention Center that alleges years of verbal and mental abuse by Demers. Wilmouth is also on leave.

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Demers' attorney -- Mattiello friend and part-time State House attorney John C. Manni -- denies the allegations against Demers, a retired State Police officer. "It is all nonsense," said Manni. 

Regarding an investigation of Mattiello's actions relating to Demers, Superintendent of the State Police James Manni in a phone call with GoLocal said, “I can neither confirm nor deny that there is an investigation.”

The two Mannis are not related.

 

“Illegal” and “Politically Motivated”

On Thursday, Rhode Island Convention Center Authority board member George Nee said that the action by Mattiello, to have unilaterally instructed Rhode Island Auditor General Dennis Hoyle via the Joint Committee on Legislative Services (JCSL) to demand an audit of the authority, was illegal. 

Chairman of the Authority Bernie Buonanno said that he believes Mattiello’s actions were political retribution against the Authority for disciplining Demers.

The Convention Center Authority voted unanimously to reject Hoyle’s request for an audit deeming it illegally presented.

After House Minority Leader Blake Filippi filed a lawsuit against Mattiello and other members of the JCLS, Mattiello ordered the audit demand to be rescinded.

 

 

House Minority Office -- JCLS Actions Have Been Illegal

On Thursday, GOP legislators held a press conference calling for reforms of JCLS, which oversees more than $45 million in spending but has not met in years, has no public hearings and allows no public review.