In Deepwater: Did Whitehouse Lobby for Wife’s Company?
Sunday, May 02, 2010
A spokesman for U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse is denying that his wife, Dr. Sandra Whitehouse, was hired by Deepwater Wind less than three weeks after the senator signed a letter encouraging the U.S. Department of Transportation to approve a $22.3 million grant that would benefit her new employer.
On Nov. 13, 2009, The Providence Journal reported that Sandra Whitehouse had been hired as a permitting consultant by Deepwater Wind on Nov. 6. The Providence Business News also reported on Nov. 19 that Whitehouse was working for the company.
But now, the senator’s office is denying that Whitehouse has ever worked for the company. Matt Thornton, a spokesman, told GoLocalProv in an April 27 e-mail that Sandra Whitehouse had been “in negotiations” with Deepwater for a consulting job but that the two parties “never came to an agreement.”
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTHe said the Deepwater press release announcing the hire in November was “issued prematurely.”
A online search for retractions in the two newspapers did not reveal any. Nor did Deepwater’s Web site have a retraction.
Thornton wouldn't speculate on why Deepwater had not issued a retraction.
Calls to the newsrooms of both newspapers were not returned.* (UPDATE: Today we received a call back from the Providence Business News. Click here for more.)
Jim Lanard, managing director and spokesman for Deepwater Wind, declined to say in an April 22 interview whether Sandra Whitehouse was working for the firm, referring comments to a company spokeswoman who did not return several calls for comment.
On Oct. 23, 2009, Sen. Whitehouse and other members of the Rhode Island congressional delegation sent a letter to Secretary of Transportation Raymond LaHood asking him to approve the grant to upgrade the infrastructure at the Quonset Business Park in North Kingston. Deepwater plans on using the park as a staging area for the $1.6 billion development of what could become the nation’s first offshore wind farm.
On Oct. 23, Whitehouse and the other members of the Congressional delegation also sent a letter to LaHood requesting funding for cranes at ProvPort.
If Sandra Whitehouse worked for Deepwater—and especially the timing of her hiring—that would raise ethical questions, according to two government watchdog groups who spoke with GoLocalProv.
“For a spouse to benefit from a deal that a senator advocates certainly has the appearance of a conflict,” said Pete Sepp, executive vice president of the National Taxpayers Union. “The entire deal presents a pretty blatant political conundrum.”
Neither Sen. Whitehouse nor his wife returned repeated calls for comment from GoLocalProv.
Under Senate Rule 37, which addresses the code of conduct expected of members, senators are prohibited “from receiving any compensation or allowing any compensation to accrue to the member's beneficial interest, from any source as a result of an improper exercise of official influence.”
But Melanie Sloan, executive director of Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, said the rule is actually quite vague in describing what is – and isn't – considered a conflict of interest.
“It may not be illegal but it certainly looks bad,” Sloan said, noting that the circumstances may be mitigated since the entire Rhode Island congressional delegation signed the letter to LaHood.
Victor Profughi, a professor emeritus at Rhode Island College who teaches political science and lectures on ethics, said the incident may come back to haunt Whitehouse at the ballot box if he runs for reelection in 2012.
*An editor at The Providence Journal did return a call on Friday seeking clarification on what information GoLocalProv was seeking. But he did not call back a second time with the requested information.
