Gemma Violates Pledge, Takes Lobbyist Money
Thursday, September 02, 2010
Anthony Gemma has boasted that he is the only Congressional candidate for the First District seat who has not taken lobbyist or other special interest contributions, but a GoLocalProv investigation has found that in fact he has taken lobbyist money.
He has accused all of his Democratic primary opponents of taking those contributions. “Cicilline, Lynch, and Segal all claim to support the Fair Elections Now Act, yet all of them accept money from lobbyists, special interest groups, and/or PACs,” Gemma said in a campaign statement on August 30. “I, on the other hand, have not accepted a dime from them, and I never will.”
Gemma repeated his claim the next day at the ABC 6 debate.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTHowever, Gemma accepted a $250 donation from John Gregory on June 27, according to his second-quarter finance report filed with the Federal Election Commission. Gregory is registered with the Rhode Island Secretary of State as a lobbyist for the Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber of Commerce in 2010.
“John Gregory donated to Anthony’s campaign because he is a close friend and has been so for over 10 years,” said acting campaign manager Dan Mercer. “Anthony, nor the campaign, for that matter, had any idea he was a lobbyist because their relationship is strictly friendship. John donated that money from his own personal funds.”
Mercer said the campaign would immediately return the donation—effective September 2.
Gemma also accepted $2,000 from Ray Rickman in June. Rickman was registered as a lobbyist in 2009. Rickman, who is president of the Rickman Group, now works as a political consultant for Gemma. His compensation from the campaign is not listed on the FEC report.
The fact that he was recently registered as a lobbyist does not disqualify Rickman from contributing to the campaign, Mercer said. “We define a lobbyist as someone who is registered as an active lobbyist with the Secretary of State of Rhode Island or the U.S. House of Representatives,” Mercer said. “Ray Rickman is not a lobbyist.”
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