Matt Brown’s Recently Launched Political Cooperative Is Making Top Democrats Nervous

Matt Brown’s Recently Launched Political Cooperative Is Making Top Democrats Nervous

Speaker of the House Nick Mattiello’s worst nightmare may have emerged as the progressive wing of the Democratic Party announced that they may have built an organization with the structure and financial capabilities necessary to transform the General Assembly -- and politics in Rhode Island. 

The Rhode Island Political Cooperative is jointly chaired by Jennifer Rourke, Matt Brown and former state senator Jeanine Calkin.

The structure is new to Rhode Island, and the Democratic Party’s favorite attack dog -- Bill Lynch -- let loose on the new organization. Lynch is a lobbyist, lawyer and former chair of the state Democratic Party,

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So much for the big tent.

"Matt Brown, who once notoriously dropped out of a U.S. Senate race after skirting federal campaign finance law, is at it again. Earlier this week, Matt announced that he has co-founded a non-profit designed to surreptitiously raise and funnel funds to candidates for public office. In this week of all weeks, Matt has even offered quid-pro-quo political favors in exchange for your donations. If you give him your money, Matt promises to only give your money to candidates who support his causes and that he will grant you special access to them,” said Lynch of behalf of the party controlled by Mattiello.

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“Quid-pro-quos like these have been outlawed in Rhode Island, but Matt could not care less. Matt even brags that he strategically chose not to designate the non-profit as a 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) because it restricts his “ability to provide campaign services to candidates,” Lynch said.

But Mattiello is not the only one who may be nervous about the new organization that is sporting 25 potential candidates for 2020.

The news is not much better for the State Senate’s leadership although the number of progressives in the Senate is significantly less than in the House. The House started the legislative session with 22 Democrats opposing Mattilello’s leadership, but by the end of the legislative year, all the Democrats fell in line — all the Democrats voted for the Mattiollo budget.

Lynch’s attack said, "Most disheartening is Matt’s attempt to unseat well-established women and people of color in the General Assembly. More than half of the seats he has targeted with his political donation Ponzi scheme are currently held by women or people of color. These individuals have provided leadership on important social justice issues, including: raising the minimum wage, passing common-sense gun control, and, most recently, securing a women’s right to choose.”

“At a time when Democrats across our nation are crying out for transparency and diversity, the last thing our party needs is Matt and his privilege. There’s no place for Matt Brown and his antics in the Democratic Party or Rhode Island politics,” added Lynch.

RI Political Cooperative says its candidates will fight for:

$15/hour minimum wage & equal pay for equal work

A Green New Deal & 100% clean energy by 2030

Affordable housing for all

Medicare for all, including women's health

Equal rights for all, regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation

Corporations & the rich paying their fair share of taxes

Quality public education for all children & tuition-free public college

Money out of politics & ending political corruption

Criminal justice reform, including banning for-profit prisons

Common sense gun control