Almonte Questions Magaziner's "Family Money" Used in Campaign
Independent candidate for General Treasurer Ernie Almonte is questioning opponent Seth Magaziner's "family money" he used for campaign finances.
Almonte's campaign manager, Evan Petrone, released the following statement:
“Rhode Island General Law prohibits anyone, except the candidate, from contributing or loaning more than $1,000 to a campaign or candidate in a calendar year. Mr. Magaziner admitted the $550,000 he loaned to his campaign came from earnings from his job and 'family money.' Frankly, his response raises more questions than it answers.
Campaign finance laws do not allow candidates to take financial gifts or loans from family and funnel it into a campaign. If Mr. Magaziner’s parents gave him money after he became a candidate, this would be a clear violation of campaign finance law.
If the money came from a family trust, why isn't the trust listed on his ethics disclosure?
But the real question is why it took him so long to answer. He dodged the question, not giving an answer for almost 45 days. This is exactly the kind of behavior one would expect from a second-generation political insider with a sense of entitlement who believes the rules don't apply to him.
How willing someone is to answer questions truthfully and in a timely manner speaks directly to that individual’s character and integrity. It took almost 45 days for Mr. Magaziner to offer a response to these questions, and even then, his response was so vague that it raised more questions than it answered.
Transparency is an issue of critical importance to the treasurer’s office. If Mr. Magaziner believes that Rhode Islanders don’t care about truth, timeliness, and transparency, he’s sadly mistaken.”