Mattiello's Chief of Staff Has Received Subpoena

Mattiello's Chief of Staff Has Received Subpoena

GoLocal has learned that Speaker of the House Nick Mattiello’s Chief-of-Staff Leo Skenyon has also received a grand jury subpoena tied to Mattiello’s actions against the Rhode Island Convention Center Authority.

Earlier today, GoLocal reported that members of the board of the Rhode Island Convention Center Authority, as well as at least one member of the Convention Center Authority staff, have been subpoenaed to appear before a grand jury in the probe into Speaker of the House Nicholas Mattiello’s order to audit the agency, GoLocal has learned. 

In January, Mattiello ordered the audit after close friend James Demers, who had been a security director at the time, was placed on administrative leave, after a top female executive at the Convention Center Authority reported harassment and abuse by Demers. 

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The Convention Center called the audit “illegal” — and asked Rhode Island State Police Superintendent James Manni to investigate. 

In a letter signed by the Chair of the Convention Center Authority Board Bernie Buonanno and James McCarville, Executive Director, they wrote in part, “Given that we are already subject to an annual financial audit which is posted to our website and provided to the Governor, House of Representatives, Senate, Auditor General, among others, and that this most recent audit request was issued and then rescinded, the Convention Center Authority requests a formal investigation by the State Police into the nexus of this request, the motivation behind it and if any laws were broken in the process.”

As GoLocal first reported, the Rhode Island State Police were looking into the matter at the time of the Convention Center Authority request. 

The Rhode Island Attorney General’s office has not commented on the subpoenas or grand jury. 

This story was first published 2/4/20 4:45 PM.