AG Candidate Little Tied to Central Falls Mayor
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Attorney General candidate Chris Little has criticized his Democratic opponent, Peter Kilmartin, and the current office-holder, Patrick Lynch, for their political ties to embattled Central Falls Mayor Charles Moreau. But it turns out that Little has himself is a past donor to the mayor’s campaign.
Little, the Moderate Party candidate, has faulted Lynch for failing to investigate Moreau—who is now at the center of federal probe. Little has that Moreau is a “textbook example” of why a single-party system is dangerous, especially when it controls the Attorney General’s office. He has blamed the political ties between Lynch and Moreau for why the Attorney General never initiated a state investigation into the Central Falls mayor.
Little denounces 'insider politics'
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“He had powerful friends to support him, like Attorney General Lynch,” Little said in a recent statement. “Even when there was apparent wrong-doing on Moreau’s part, people were reluctant to come forward, believing that their voices would not be heard by the AG’s office, according to published reports. That’s why this kind of in-bred, insider, one party politics is so damaging to our State.”
And, in a recent debate, he raised concerns about Kilmartin’s connections with the mayor, flashing a Nov. 4, 2009 Pawtucket Times photo showing the two of them together, along with Lynch and Secretary of State Ralph Mollis.
Little donated money too
State campaign finance records show that Little himself donated $250 to Moreau in October 2005. A spokeswoman for Little said he had donated to Moreau in 2005, long before the mayor was under any investigation. Little said he had made the donation because he “respected” Moreau’s leadership.
Lynch donated $600 in May 2009—also before the federal probe began—and Kilmartin has contributed nothing, according to state records.
“Chris Little has a problem telling the truth. Little wrongly asserted that Peter Kilmartin and Mayor Moreau have close personal ties – basing this dishonest claim on nothing more than a random photo in which they both appeared,” said Kilmartin spokesman Brett Broesder.
Broesder said Little, not Kilmartin, is the candidate who would face a conflict of interest if elected. “The truth is that Peter Kilmartin has absolutely no ties to Mayor Moreau. As Attorney General, Peter Kilmartin would aggressively prosecute Mayor Moreau for any and all charges punishable by the law. On the other hand, as Attorney General, Chris Little would have to recuse the office from prosecuting Mayor Moreau because of their political ties – costing the state thousands of taxpayer dollars in outside counsel fees.”
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