Kilmartin Calls for Restrictions on Campaign Donors
Monday, July 26, 2010
Attorney General candidate Peter Kilmartin is calling for sweeping ethics reform that would bar companies with state contracts from donating to candidates for local and state office who awarded the contract or who appointed administrators who did.
“Enough is enough. Corruption has proven that it never sleeps in Rhode Island and it can no longer be tolerated,” said Kilmartin, a Democrat. “As Attorney General, I will lead the charge against corruption by cracking down on practices like ‘pay-to-play’ and will use all of the powers endowed to the office to aggressively prosecute those that violate the public trust.”
The pay-to-play ban expands upon a public corruption bill that Kilmartin sponsored as a state rep.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTUnder his new proposal, companies are barred from donating to any candidate for state or local office if they have any contract—bid or no bid—with the state, town, or city. The restriction takes effect the day a bid is submitted, although it is lifted if the company ends up not winning the work. For companies that do get the job, the ban remains in effect for one year after the contract terminates.
The restriction would cover a broad swath of individuals associated with those companies: board members, officers, and managers who hold at least a 5 percent ownership stake as well as their spouses and dependent children aged 18 or older. Political action committees, or PACs, affiliated with the business likewise wouldn’t be able to make donations to candidates during the term of the contract and one year afterward.
“When this blanket measure aimed at combating ‘pay-to-play’ becomes law, it will send a strong message that enough is enough,” Broesder said. “Peter Kilmartin knows that we need to really crack down on the corruption in this state. That’s why he is leading the charge in setting a precedent that this isn’t the way we’re going to do business in Rhode Island.”
However, companies would not prohibited from donating to a candidate and later going after a state contract. “We cannot predict the future. Therefore, a contracting entity is not subject to this law until it has either submitted a proposal for a competitive-bid contract or been awarded a no-bid contract,” Broesder said.
Penalties for Businesses and Candidates
Businesses that violate the new rules would faces fines and have their contract canceled—they wouldn’t be able to seek another contract for one year. The fine would be equal to the amount of the campaign contribution.
Likewise, candidates who accept the donations would have to pay a fine—also equal to the amount of the contribution—to the state board of elections
Broesder said the law, if passed, would be among the toughest ones in the country.
It may not be easy to pass such legislation, but Broesder said now is the right time to do it. “With several examples of ‘pay-to-play’ across the country and corruption remaining top-of-mind amongst voters in the Ocean State, Kilmartin believes that the time is now to take strong action against this practice,” he said.
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