Ousted RI State Rep “Spills the Beans” With New Allegations of Bad Behavior at State House
Thursday, September 10, 2020
Rep. Moira Jayne Walsh made the accusations on social media on Thursday. Photo: GoLocal's Richard McCaffrey
One of the top progressives in the House, Walsh had been targeted by Speaker Nicholas Mattiello for defeat in the primary.
Walsh made new allegations of excessive drinking at the State House, and accused colleagues of being drunk on the floor and of inappropriate behavior — including one former Representative of asking teenage pages for their phone numbers.
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“As for criminal behavior, based on how much drinking they do on State House grounds, I don’t see how anyone safely drives home. Watch capital TV and you’ll see reps so drunk they can’t present their bills," she wrote Thursday.
Walsh alleged inappropriate behavior from colleagues this session, during consideration of coronavirus legislation.
“Notice how much fun Shanley and Mendez are having while your grandmothers are struggling to breathe. Hahaha isn’t legislation fun?” said Walsh. “While Rhode Islanders are dying by the thousands from COVID, Rep. Chris Millea brought a cardboard cutout of his face.”
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Millea responded to the accusation.
"My daughters made that for me — in March. It was for my last Providence Bruins game [as a referee], and I left it there," said Millea, of Walsh's allegations, and the timing. "[Representative] Shanley was the one who waved it."
"I’m not commenting on [Walsh]," said Millea. "Her comments are inappropriate."
Shanley and Mendez did not respond to press calls at time of publication.
Accusations of Sexism, Inappropriate Behavior
As for sexism, Walsh said the following.
“Psssshh — women are not treated the same, period,” said Walsh. “A male rep recommended dress codes just for women, because men already know how to dress. That rep? Jimmy McLaughlin.”
"That is definitely not true," said McLaughlin when reached for comment. 'We have a dress code already in our rules. I did not do that."
"Rep. Walsh has made several comments about several things that were totally blown out of proportion," said McLaughlin. "But this is America, and anyone can say what they want."
Walsh then accused Perez, who is running for office again in 2020, of inappropriate behavior.
“Porn Tabs Perez was known for asking State House pages (literally teenage girls) for their numbers,” said Walsh.
In 2017, then-Representative Ramon Perez came under fired what he said was “accidentally" distributing materials that contained pornographic tabs to colleagues.
Perez was then accused of sexual harassment — at a sexual harassment training.
Perez did not respond to request for comment on Thursday.
Walsh Still in House Until 2021
Former Republican candidate for U.S. Congress and Rhode Island General Treasurer Michael Riley asked Walsh on Thursday to “name names and help clear things up” -- and Walsh said she was “dying to spill the beans.”
Walsh, who remains in office until new members are sworn in January, did not seem to care about repercussions from House leadership.
“What are they going to do — beat me again?” she wrote. “At my core, I’m a city kid and bullies don’t scare me.”
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