UPDATED: Convention Center Formally Asks RI State Police to Investigate Mattiello’s Actions
Saturday, January 25, 2020
GoLocal reported Friday morning that the Rhode Island State Police had launched a formal investigation into actions by Speaker of House Nicholas Mattiello relating to what has been described as retribution against the Rhode Island Convention Center Authority.
The alleged retribution is linked to the Authority taking disciplinary action against Mattiello's long-time friend James Demers — the Head of Security at the Convention Center, who is now on administrative leave.
Now, the Convention Center is fighting back.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTIn a letter sent to James Manni, Superintendent of the State Police, signed by the Chair of the Convention Center Authority Board Bernie Buonanno and James McCarville, the Executive Director, they write in part, “Given that we are already subject to an annual financial audit which is posted to our website and provided to the Governor, House of Representatives, Senate, Auditor General, among others, and that this most recent audit request was issued and then rescinded, the Convention Center Authority requests a formal investigation by the State Police into the nexus of this request, the motivation behind it and if any laws were broken in the process.”
On Thursday, the Convention Center Authority had deemed the request for the audit to be illegal and had denied the demand.
By the end of Thursday, Mattiello had ordered the audit demand to be rescinded.
Manni confirmed Friday evening he has received the Convention Center's request.
Mattiello in a statement to GoLocal states, “It’s a baseless request. Obviously the Convention Center Authority does not want anyone looking at its financial records. The taxpayers were responsible for $28.4 million in support for the Convention Center in 2019 and $255 million in the last ten years. Why is the Authority so opposed to having a performance audit done?”
Latest for Mattiello and Convention Center
This week, GoLocal exclusively secured a copy of a letter by Amanda Marzullo Wilmouth, the Assistant General Manager of the Rhode Island Convention Center that alleges years of verbal and mental abuse by fellow Convention Center executive Demers.
On Thursday, House Minority Leader Blake Filippi sued Mattiello to block what he said was the illegal audit -- before Mattiello pulled his request after the fact.
DEVELOPING
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