Providence Credit Card Used for Democratic Socialist Conference & Other Expenses
GoLocalProv News Team
Providence Credit Card Used for Democratic Socialist Conference & Other Expenses
This review comes after GoLocal first reported that the City has put a hold on the use of the Council’s credit cards.
One of the expenses put on a Providence credit card is tied to an open invoice for City Council’s chief of Staff, June Rose, and Councilor Miguel Sanchez to attend a conference in New Orleans titled “How We Win,” a conference hosted by the Democratic Socialists of America Fund. The event is scheduled for December 5-7, 2025.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTAccording to documents, the expenses requested for the conference were for Rose.
Rose defends the expenditure for the New Orleans Democratic Socialist event.
“CM Sanchez's registration and transportation are not covered, but when staff are requested to travel with a councilor for work it is covered by the council office's transportation and training budget. This is a conference hosted by a 501(c)(3) only for elected officials and government-side staff,” wrote Rose in an email to GoLocal.
But Rose’s statement of who attends is not consistent with the group’s website, which states that, in addition to elected officials and their staff, activists and organizers tied to the group’s Democratic Socialists of America chapters.
Those chapter members "demonstrate real socialist values, as opposed to what the right-wing describes as socialism. By being visible, active, and made up of ordinary people who decided they were tired of feeling powerless, chapters help undermine the right-wing’s use of socialism to scare people.”
And more.
Sanchez said in an email that he was not using the credit card. But refused to respond as to why the conference was necessary, nor would he answer why he needed staff to attend the conference with him.
New Orleans Conference
According to the Democratic Socialists' events website, “Now is a time for the courage and clarity of democratic socialist leadership. The 2025 How We Win conference will bring together the over 200 democratic socialists in elected office across the country, their staff, DSA chapters working with those elected officials, and an array of allied organizations from labor unions and policy think tanks to grassroots advocates and media outlets.”
“Over three days we will collaborate towards governance tools and disciplined strategies that win power for working class communities. From developing policies and shared narratives to leveraging oversight roles and mobilizing local communities, How We Win is a space for problem solving and network building – planting the seeds for governing coalitions in every state, at every level,” according to the group.
The organizing group for the event is the DSA Fund “the 501(c)3 political education sister organization to the Democratic Socialists of America, investing in projects that help build a democratic socialist future.”
Other Expenses
There were other expenses, including buying third-party insurance. “This was for Councilwoman Ana Vargas' September 14 Hispanic Heritage Month celebration on Pocasset Avenue. This was required insurance for the parade,” said Rose.
Ironically, there are payments for X accounts. The city credit card was billed $32 in one instance. X was owned by Elon Musk, and then X was purchased by another Musk-owned company, xAI, in March for $33 billion.
And, there were other travel expenses on the credit card tied to a June conference in Chicago.
Unveiled in September
On September 24, GoLocal unveiled:
Credit card access used by staff of the Providence City Council has been suspended pending a review, GoLocal has learned.
After repeated questions to the City of Providence, Marc Boyd, spokesperson for Council President Rachel Miller, admitted this week there is a "pause."
"The City Treasurer put a temporary pause on the newly issued credit card to review usage, after which usage may continue in accordance with the credit card policy," said Boyd.
Since the September article was published, Boyd has resigned from his position with the City Council. According to the City Council office, he is scheduled to be deployed by the National Guard in 2026.