Providence, RI – Governor Gina Raimondo’s campaign and her subordinate, Patrick Ward’s Providence Democratic City Committee, entered into a secret fundraising agreement. Kevin Olasanoye, the executive director of the R.I. Democratic Party, believed that this agreement would lead to Raimondo’s donors giving $10,000 contributions to the Providence Democratic City Committee for “party building” and in exchange, the Providence Democratic City Committee would “then presumably give Raimondo some undisclosed degree of control over who was hired and how money was spent” (Providence Journal, February 12, 2018).
Representative Mike Chippendale commented: “Rhode Island campaign finance law does not directly address fundraising agreements like the Raimondo-Ward deal. As a result, I am introducing legislation to require candidates to file with the Board of Elections any written agreement they reach with a party committee involving campaign contributions or expenditures. In Rhode Island, other documents other than campaign finance reports are filed with the Board of Elections. Under R.I.G.L. Section 17-25-11 (c)(2), candidates are required to file with the Board of Elections a copy of the bank statement for their campaign account annually so the Board in can verify the accuracy of campaign finance reports. Because of R.I.G.L. Section 17-27-3(a) certain state vendors file a copy of their contract with the Board of Elections so that the public is informed of how some campaign donors profit from state business. My proposed legislation will assist in ensuring our campaign finance laws are followed instead of evaded.”
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