GOP
candidate for state Representative racks up more violations
By
Will Collette
When you've been arrested
and convicted for as many crimes as 2012 Republican House candidate and Charlestown
Republican activist Tina Jackson has, obeying civil regulations and
government rules seems to hold little meaning.
I
recently reported that Jackson has now failed to file the last five
campaign finance disclosure reports and now owes fines of just under $1600 to
the state Board of Elections.
I
just received a letter
from the RI Ethics Commission notifying me that they have upheld my
complaint against Jackson for failing to file the required annual financial
disclosure form that all candidates for public office must file. Though that
complaint took a while to reach that point, this one was a slam dunk since (a)
Tina Jackson was a candidate for public office (and her campaign committee is
still active, according to the Board of Elections); (b) candidates must file financial
disclosure reports and (c) she didn’t.
She claims to be the lobbyist and representative of down-trodden workers in the fishing industry fighting for the right to fish for whatever they want, wherever they want. She even set up a non-profit lobbying organization for them to do that called the American Alliance of Fishermen and their Communities. The problem is Tina does not respond to forms.
Twice
now, she has been so delinquent on filing the standard, very simple state
annual report that the Secretary of State has revoked the organization’s right
to do business in Rhode Island. Secretary Ralph Mollis pulled
the plug on the group last January.
When Jackson attempted to formally intervene on behalf of her group against the Deepwater off-shore wind farm project, she was denied standing because her group’s corporate charter had been revoked.
When Jackson attempted to formally intervene on behalf of her group against the Deepwater off-shore wind farm project, she was denied standing because her group’s corporate charter had been revoked.
Nine
months later, and she still hasn’t straightened out this mess, even though it
cost her the chance for intervenor status in the Deepwater off-shore wind
proceedings.
It’s
a relatively easy fix: you pay a fine and file the missing reports and the
Secretary of State reinstates you, but I guess that’s too much trouble.
Jackson also doesn't see fit to file IRS 990 reports. She incorporated the group as a state non-profit in 2009 but apparently has not filed for federal tax exemption status. Since Jackson’s group is primarily engaged in political advocacy and lobbying, it may not qualify as a federal 501(c)(3), the highly prized status that allows donors to deduct their donations.
It
certainly won’t qualify since its state corporate charter has been revoked.
Oh,
and Jackson still has not registered either her organization or herself as
lobbyists with the state of Rhode Island which is required if you’re going to
lobby on state legislation – as she has. And there are more forms to file,
etc., etc.
But
Tina Jackson doesn’t do any of that stuff. She’s just a crusader for the right
and true even though she apparently doesn’t follow any of the rules herself.
It
will be interesting if she pursues her efforts to take over control of the Charlestown Republican Party. It’ll be even more interesting if she decides to
take another shot at challenging Rep. Donna Walsh or run for some other public
office. If she doesn't plan to run for office again in 2014, what would be the
point of her keeping her campaign committee active? Does she enjoy racking up fines?
By
2014, no doubt she will have figured out how to explain her colorful criminal
past and all the many lapses and violations she has incurred, including this
latest violation of the state Ethics Law.