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August 2, 2007

Complaint filed against former E. Providence mayor

EAST PROVIDENCE -- East Providence Democratic Committee Chairman John F. Conley filed a formal complaint today with the state Ethics Commission against former Mayor and Republican Joseph S. Larisa Jr. for allegedly violating Rhode Island’s code of conduct for public officials.

A section in Chapter 36 of the state’s general laws says public officers and employees cannot “represent any other person before any state or municipal agency of which he or she is a member or by which he or she is employed.”

It also states the person can’t do this for “a period of one year after he or she has officially severed his or her position.”

Larisa lost against current Mayor Isadore Ramos Jr. for the at-large council seat during a close election and recount late last year. Ramos was sworn in to the position in December.

Seven months later, Larisa, a lawyer, represented Canvassing Authority member Thomas Riley for free in a disciplinary hearing in front of the council. The July 12 hearing concluded with a written reprimand in Riley’s personnel file.

“My members believe that no one is above the rule of law,” Conley said in a short, three paragraph news release. “These rules and regulations were put in place for a purpose.”

-- Journal staff writer Alisha A. Pina

The city Democratic Committee’s corresponding secretary, Wendy S. Caputo, who writes the news releases on behalf of Conley, who is blind, added, “It wouldn’t have mattered whether a Democrat or Republican filed this complaint…. Mr. Larisa, of all people being an attorney, should have known. I was very surprised he was there [at the hearing] that night.”

In a page-long response to The Journal, Larisa said he “actually” represented himself, the city’s taxpayers and voters on three occasions pro bono, not once, since his departure from office. He said all the appearances were in full compliance with the state’s Code of Ethics and protected by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.

After explaining the background of each appearance and complimenting Riley, Larisa said his actions thus far have been a “public service” for the voters and “good government groups.”

“The complaint by Mr. Conley is baseless,” Larisa wrote. “If he and others truly want to start following the law, they should join the good government groups in demanding that the voter list be cleaned up immediately instead of obstructing and resisting night time meetings where complaints can be heard.”

Posted by Mike McKinney at 3:33 PM | Permalink

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this is east providence - WHO CARES???

nobody | August 2, 2007 4:18 PM link

August 2, 2007

Complaint filed against former E. Providence mayor

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