Ethics Commission Dismisses RI GOP Complaint Against Senator Lawson

Ethics Commission Dismisses RI GOP Complaint Against Senator Lawson

Rhode Island Senator Valarie Lawson issued a statement following the Ethics Commission’s decision on Tuesday to dismiss the complaint filed against her by the state Republican Party.

The complaint, filed by Brandon Bell, argued that Lawson’s position as a union executive made it a conflict of interest for her to vote on the continuing-contracts bill.

Lawson issued the following statement:

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“I am grateful to the members and staff of the Commission for being available to us in the Senate when we have questions. I carefully followed the guidance of the Senate’s attorney and the Ethics Commission staff on this matter, and I will always abide by their recommendations. I am happy to put this matter behind me. I am honored to represent the residents of East Providence, and will continue to advocate fiercely on their behalf.”

The RI Democratic Party's Cyd McKenna issued a statement:

Republican Party leadership should be ashamed of itself. Instead of articulating any positive agenda for our state, they filed a frivolous complaint to smear the reputation of a hardworking, dedicated public school teacher. Sen. Lawson’s efforts to abide by the directions of legal counsel and the Ethics Commission’s staff are well documented. She went above and beyond her ethical obligation to appropriately recuse herself from this matter. Nevertheless, the Republican Party filed a spurious complaint, tying up the Ethics Commission’s resources and wasting thousands of taxpayer dollars in the process.