Addendum: Charlestown's special counsel for Indian Affairs, "Injun Joe" Larisa, was listed by GoLocalProv as "the biggest offender in 2011" of the RI Ethics Law. This was for Larisa's second major ethics violation since 2007. Larisa, the former Mayor of East Providence, represents the town in fighting whatever it is the Narragansett Tribe wants to do. According to Town Hall records, the town has paid Larisa $169,259 since July 2009.
Here we are in the 2012 Campaign season and some local politicians still haven't cleaned up after the 2010 campaign.
The Rhode Island Board of Elections released its new list of overdue campaign fines. These overdue payments total almost $1.2 million and are spread among over 200 individual candidates and PACs. Typically, the fines are for failure to file required campaign finance disclosure forms, with added interest and penalties for non-payment.
The Board of Elections has begun taking some of the violators to court, starting with some of the most egregious offenders who seem to have the ability to pay. Some large sums are owed by politicians who have gone to prison, thus making it unlikely they will pay. The people on the list range from good guys, like Dem State Party Chair Ed Pacheco ($25), to GOP bad boys Bob Watson ($75) and Dan Gordon ($87).
- James Mageau, $75 for missing reports for the 2010 campaign
- David Mars, $25, Jim Mageau's nearly invisible running mate in 2010
- Charlene "Candi" Dunn, $75, Republican, who lost her 2010 bid for re-election to the Charlestown Town Council
- Charlestown Republican Town Committee, $100.
Also of interest, Timothy Burchett, who ran unsucessfully against Rep. Teresa Tanzi in South Kingstown, owes $1,254. Burchett ran as a Republican, although he has been an itinerant follower of Ron Paul as well as the militia movement.