King Surrenders Illegal License

King Surrenders Illegal License

Republican candidate for General Treasurer Kernan “Kerry” King has turned over his Florida driver’s license to the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles last Friday, according to a press statement scheduled to be released later today.

“After his afternoon appointment, Mr. King went to the Registry of Motor Vehicles office and turned his license over to the director,” Vic Pichette, King’s campaign manager and spokesman for King said on Friday. “It was cut into pieces.”

“When he lived in Florida he had to get a car, which like all good citizens, he needed to register. To do that he was issued a Florida license. He was never required to turn in his Rhode Island license,” Pichette said.

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

“We’ve explained everything to the [Rhode Island] registry and they didn’t have a problem with it,” Pichette said, “but [King] decided it would be better if he just turned it in and focused on the problems facing our state,” he said.

Over the last two weeks, Rhode Island Democratic chairman Ed Pacheco had called for King to return his Florida license after it was reported he had licenses for Rhode Island and the Sunshine State, stating that possessing two licenses was against Rhode Island law. Rhode Island General Law 31-10-1(a) states no person “shall receive an operator's license unless and until he or she surrenders to the division of motor vehicles all valid operators' licenses in his or her possession issued to that person by any other jurisdiction.”

Amy Kempe, spokesperson for the Rhode Island registry, confirmed the claim Friday morning but said they would not enforce the matter because of a lack of resources and priorities. King, who had maintained he was within his rights to have two licenses, has surrendered his Florida license in order to direct the conversation at hand to the issues concerning the General Treasurer’s office.

It is not the first time King has found himself in controversy. Earlier this month it was revealed King had been receiving a hometown exemption property tax reduction on his Osprey, Fla., home since 2005, a reduction available only for Florida residents. King has not been a resident since 2005, instead claiming full-time residency in Rhode Island. He has stated he will reimburse the county for the exemption and the interest, about $3,000, but not the estimated $2,300 in penalties, stating it was the county’s fault in not informing him of the error.