GOP Buddies - Avedisian Gives Fung’s Law Firm $84,000 Lobbying Contract

GOP Buddies - Avedisian Gives Fung’s Law Firm $84,000 Lobbying Contract

For years, Scott Avedisian and Allan Fung were close political and personal friends. The two Republicans were the faces of the party in Rhode Island. Avedisian was the long-time Mayor of Warwick, and Fung was the Mayor of Cranston.

In 2022, Fung was the GOP candidate for Congress and narrowly lost to Democrat Seth Magaziner. After the election, he returned to his law firm, Pannone Lopes Devereaux & O'Gara.

Now, the lobbying division of Fung’s law firm has been given an $84,000 contract to lobby for the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority (RIPTA). The lobbying division of the firm is named PLDO Strategies. The firm is paid $7,000 a month for 12 months.

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Avedisian is the Chief Executive Officer of the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority

GoLocal secured a copy of the contract through an Access to Public Records Act request.

The contract states, “This Agreement shall commence on January 1, 2023, and shall terminate on December 31, 2023, unless extended by the mutual written agreement of the parties. Either party may terminate this Agreement immediately if an act or omission by the other party constitutes a material breach of this Agreement.“

Further, the contract states, "The parties agree that the $84,000 fee for PLDO STRATEGIES's work is for the Session. The installment payments are a courtesy granted by PLDO STRATEGIES to RIPTA in order to spread PLDO STRATEGIES's fees for work during the Session throughout the calendar year." 

 

Scope of Lobbying:

(a) PLDO STRATEGIES will use its professional efforts to identify Rhode Island state legislation of interest to RIPTA and work to secure passage, defeat, or --· amendment to pending legislation of interest to RIPTA;

(b) PLDO STRATEGIES will also use its professional efforts to advocate for RIPTA's

(c) PLDO STRATEGIES will also use its professional efforts to advocate for RIPTA's interests as agreed upon between RIPTA and PLDO STRATEGIES.·
 

And, according to the agreement, "RIPTA will cooperate fully with PLDO STRATEGIES during this Agreement. Accordingly, RIPTA will provide PLDO STRATEGIES with relevant information, files, and documents that PLDO STRATEGIES may reasonably request in order to assist PLDO STRATEGIES to perform its duties under this Agreement. Moreover, RIPTA will make itself reasonably available to attend meetings, hearings, or other proceedings as needed."

According to the State Lobbying records, RIPTA has not contracted a lobbying firm in the past few years.

Neither Avedisian nor representatives of the law/lobbying firm would respond to questions.

Editor's Note: an earlier version stated the contract total was $86,000, it is $84,000.