RI REPUBLICANS QUESTION ELECTION LAW
Warwick, RI -??Governor Gina Raimondo???s re-election campaign entered into an agreement with Patrick Ward???s Providence Democratic City Committee, which is still legally in effect.??
According to Jonathan Berkon, who drafted the agreement: ???the campaign consulted with the Rhode Island Board of Elections on January 9, 2018 to confirm that it shared our interpretations of Rhode Island campaign finance law.?????
However, according to the public documents provided by the Board, no Board staff member ever agreed that a candidate could consult, collaborate or have input with a city committee related to its expenditures of or its plans to expend party building funds.??
In fact, Richard E. Thornton, Director of Campaign Finance at the Board of Elections, stated he ???had no knowledge??? of the agreement and that his ???answers??? to Berkon ???would have been limited to general questions.?????
Lastly, Director Thornton stated: ???The issue of coordinated campaigns is complex.??? ??
R.I. Republican Party Chairman Brandon S. Bell commented: ???We concur with Director Thornton that the issue of a coordinated campaign is complex, which is why we are requesting an advisory opinion from the Board of Elections as to whether a candidate can consult, cooperate, collaborate, or give input to a party committee as to how it expends or plans to expend the contributions it receives for party building.
Under R.I.G.L. ??17-25-10.1(a)(2) and R.I.G.L. ??17-25-10.1(c), it is clear that party building donations cannot be used as contributions to candidates and that any expenditures of funds donated for party building activities made in consultation, collaboration or with input from a candidate would be illegal under state law since it would be considered a contribution to a candidate.??? ??
Bell concluded: ???Under the Raimondo-Ward deal, the Providence Democratic Party agreed to give input to Raimondo???s campaign as to how it would spend party building funds.??This deal is an attempt to circumvent Rhode Island???s state campaign finance laws.??Raimondo is desperate to get her wealthy, maxed-out, out-of-state donors to give $10,000 party building donations to the Providence Democratic Party so she can then influence the Providence Democratic Party to spend it in a way which will benefit her re-election.??When your approval rating keeps sliding, you???ll do anything to try and win, including trying to circumvent the law.???