UPDATED: Ethics Commission Clears Costantino for Chafee Post
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
The Ethics Commission has ruled that state Rep. Steven Costantino, D-Providence, can make the jump from the legislative branch to the executive, clearing the way for him to serve as Secretary of the Office of Health and Human Services for Governor-elect Lincoln Chafee.
“We are delighted that the Ethics Commission has cleared the way for Steven Costantino to serve as the Secretary of OHHS,” said Mike Trainor, spokesman for Chafee. He said Costantinto will immediately begin working with the transition team to prepare for his new role and to get ready for the confirmation process in the state Senate.
John Marion, executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island, supported the decision. While ethics rules generally do bar members of the legislative branch from immediately taking executive jobs, he said the state constitution allows the governor to appoint whomever he wants to senior positions - that provision trumps other rules, he said. "A governor should have the ability—if they're going to effectively manage the state—to do this," Marion said.
