BREAKING: Critics Grow, Mattiello Says Groups Are “Ultra Left Wing” & Raimondo Mum on Speaker’s Fate

Wednesday, October 31, 2018

GoLocalProv News Team

 

View Larger +

Raimondo refuses to call for Mattiello to step down

The controversies tied to Speaker of the House Nick Mattiello are growing by the minute.

Earlier today, the Rhode Island Latino Political Action Committee, Rhode Island National Organization for Women and the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence called on voters in District 15 to vote against Nick Mattiello is his race against GOP National Committeeman Steve Frias.

Then, Mattiello’s campaign issued a statement to GoLocal dismissing the critics as “ultra left-wing.”

GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST

"The Speaker enjoys a strong record of accomplishments on gun safety laws, including a law to protect domestic violence victims.  He looks forward to continuing to work collaboratively with his colleagues in the House on these important issues. We are not surprised that this ultra left wing group supports Steve Frias.  They do not support the interests of District 15 constituents who value a balanced approach to Second Amendment rights. Moreover, they like Steve Frias, do not support the Speaker’s agenda of moving our economy forward and creating more jobs," said Patti Doyle spokesperson for the Mattiello campaign.

In response, Joseph Molina Flynn of the RI Latino PAC said, “RILPAC prides itself on being a nonpartisan organization. We have endorsed progressives, independents, centrist Democrats, and Republicans in our more than 20-year history. The Speaker can no longer dismiss any organization critical of him as ‘ultra left-wing.’”

Raimondo Refuses to Call for Mattiello or Keable to Step Down from Positions

When Governor Gina Raimondo’s office and campaign were asked if Mattiello and Keable should resign from their posts, her office issues the following statement, but repeatedly refused to comment on the two lawmakers’ fate.

“These allegations of sexual harassment are disturbing. They erode the public’s confidence in government. There can be no tolerance for sexual harassment at the State House. Anything less is a disservice to the victims and to the public,” said Raimondo in the statement.

View Larger +

Rep. Ray Hull

Another State Rep Call for Mattiello to Go

In addition, another State Representative is calling for the end of Mattiello’s run as Speaker if he is re-elected.

State Representative Ray Hull (D-6, Providence, North Providence) said that he is calling on his colleagues to "go on record and make clear they will not vote to re-elect Speaker Nick Mattiello even if he wins a closely contested re-election battle to his House seat next week."

Hull made the announcement following the news that “Mattiello ignored a sexual harassment complaint from a female House member leveled against a member of Mattiello’s House leadership team, Cale Keable, the chairman of House Judiciary. State Representative Katherine Kazarian leveled the complaint last March in an email to the Speaker referencing years of sexual harassment and expressing concern her bills would not get a fair hearing from Keable’s committee. Mattiello did nothing about the complaint until today, when the email became public. Only then did he remove Keable from his leadership post.”

“This is a disgraceful attempt by the Speaker to do what he should have done the moment he heard this complaint,” said Hull. “This was something that the Speaker was apparently aware of even at the beginning of his leadership term, yet he chose to ignore what was being done to Representative Kazarian and the threat Keable might pose to other women.”

“Since the beginning of Nicholas Mattiello's tenure as Speaker, major pieces of legislation have failed to get a vote and we are calling for new leadership to bring back Democracy to the State House” said RILPAC President Joseph Molina Flynn. Vice President Marcela Betancur added “We are frustrated that legislation that affects all Rhode Island communities is often held up in committee—a situation that Speaker Mattiello has bragged about in campaign literature. Instead, the Speaker favors close friends and lobbyists who fill his campaigns with contributions.”

This story was first published 10/30/18 12:54 PM

 

Related Articles

 

Enjoy this post? Share it with others.

 
 

Sign Up for the Daily Eblast

I want to follow on Twitter

I want to Like on Facebook