As we predicted yesterday morning, the growing feud between
Gov. Chafee and Treasurer Gina Raimondo
was indeed Wednesday’s narrative – and after Raimondo stoked the fire by disparaging the governor on the Dan Yorke Show, Chafee
fired back later in day.
“She’s free to be critical but she better be
factually accurate,” Chafee said at a late afternoon press conference. “On this
one she isn’t.”
Raimondo told Yorke that Chafee should have
done a better job overseeing the loan made to 38 Studios. “How has the Governor
and his staff in his capacity as chair of the EDC board been monitoring this
investment? These problems to the extent they exist with this company have
been simmering for a number of months and I think at some point tax payers
deserve accountability.”
Chafee disagrees with her assessment of the
situation.
“This is a really something that occurred in
the last few weeks,” he said at the press conference. “I asked industry experts
that question: could we have done more and they said no no one at EDC is
qualified to say whether a game is going to be successful or not to get
involved in the creative aspect of a game.”
The governor went on to say that Raimondo’s
energy could be more useful if applied to municipal pension reform.
“I’d really appreciate her help on help with
some of these cities and towns issues especially on pensions,” he said. “It’s
in her bailiwick.”
It’s still unclear why Raimondo hasn’t
helped more with municipal pension reform, but several mayors feel betrayed by
her because they have said she promised to help them with their pension reform
efforts if they helped her with state pension reform.
It’s also unclear how she knows that 38
Studios has been “simmering for a number of months” as she was very selective
in which reporters she would speak with. She went on WPRO and did a sit down
with WPRI. But, through a spokesperson, told five journalists waiting outside
her office that she didn’t have time to speak with them.
It’s
also unclear why she has inserted herself into the 38 Studios debacle. Ted Nesi reports:
“Asked last Monday whether Raimondo’s office knew anything about what was
happening with the 38 Studios deal, her spokeswoman emphasized that it was an
EDC situation and that the treasurer had no involvement.”