RI Democratic Women Leaders Call on Fung to End Association With DePetro

GoLocalProv Political Team

RI Democratic Women Leaders Call on Fung to End Association With DePetro

John DePetro
Women leaders of Rhode Island are calling on gubernatorial candidate Allan Fung to end his association with radio host John DePetro.

DePetro is scheduled to emcee Fung’s “Women for Fung” fundraiser on Tuesday night.

Today, DePetro is a radio host on a Woonsocket AM radio station. 

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"I was never hosting a rally for Mayor Fung. I was promoting it on my social media Facebook page and made a typomistake.. The Democratic Party And Governor Raimondo should be very familiar with mistakes after UHIP, 20 deaths in DCYF, the 195 bridge work and the botched truck toll rollout," said DePetro in a statement to GoLocal on Monday afternoon.

"I enthusiastically support Mayor Fung for Governor since Rhode Island continues to suffer under the incompetence of the Raimondo administration and her 'Reign of Errors,'' he added. 

"Asking someone with views like John DePetro to preside over a women’s get-out-the-vote event is tone-deaf and alarming, but hardly surprising coming from Allan Fung. Allan Fung has embraced Donald Trump and shown Rhode Island women that he does not stand with us. We call on Allan Fung to ditch John DePetro from his event. Standing alongside a bigot like DePetro sends a glaring message to Rhode Island women, minorities, the LGBTQ community and all marginalized communities that you do not represent us,” said Sulina Mohanty, chairwoman of the Rhode Island Democratic Party’s Women’s Caucus.

Fung & DePetro

DePetro was sued in 2012 by a co-worker for sexual harassment, then called female teachers and nurses “union hags” and “whores” on-air.

In 2013, after DePetro made caustic and derogatory statements about teachers and nurses, calling them “union hags” and “whores,” Fung joined other elected officials in a boycott of DePetro’s show.

According to the press release, since DePetro left WPRO in 2017 and moved to WNRI, Fung has done a complete 180. He’s appeared multiple times on DePetro’s show. During the 2018 gubernatorial primary, Fung and his campaign advisors agreed to a single debate on DePetro’s show.

“At a time when people in this country no longer feel safe even in their places of worship, it’s unconscionable to align oneself with DePetro, who spreads lies and stokes fear in Rhode Islanders for a living. Allan Fung must drop DePetro. Rhode Islanders deserve leaders who will stand up against hate and misogyny, not provide a platform for it. If Fung doesn’t ditch DePetro, he’ll prove what many of us already suspect: a Fung Administration will be a disaster for women and marginalized communities. Fung will put our access to healthcare at risk, underfund our schools, oppose fair pay legislation and allow Donald Trump and his fear-mongering friends to walk all over Rhode Island,”  said Democratic State Senator Gayle Goldin.

According to the release, Fung has been criticized on social media and at his campaign offices for embracing a slogan of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fung.”

The story was updated at 12:23 PM.


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