Ethics Commission fines former East Providence councilman Rose

Admonishes past council president for improper use of office in rental car matter

By Mike Rego
Posted 5/26/17

EAST PROVIDENCE — The State Ethics Commission adjudicated against former city councilor Tommy Rose in regard to a complaint filed alleging improper conduct while in office. He was admonished by …

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Ethics Commission fines former East Providence councilman Rose

Admonishes past council president for improper use of office in rental car matter

Posted

EAST PROVIDENCE — The State Ethics Commission adjudicated against former city councilor Tommy Rose in regard to a complaint filed alleging improper conduct while in office. He was admonished by the Commission and agreed to pay a $500 fine.

In a filing dated May 18, 2017, the Commission and Mr. Rose, the past four-term Ward 3 council member, body president and ceremonial mayor, agreed to a consent order, which deemed the latter inappropriately used “his office…to avoid or delay payments due and owing in his personal capacity to Enterprise Rent A Car.”

Mr. Rose was alleged to have leased a vehicle from the company in late 2015 then attempted to have payment made by the city for its use, bills in the amount of approximately $5,000.

The Commission determined Mr. Rose was in violation of two parts of Rhode Island General Law 36-14-5: (a) No person subject to this code of ethics shall have any interest, financial or otherwise, direct or indirect, or engage in any business, employment, transaction, or professional activity, or incur any obligation of any nature, which is in substantial conflict with the proper discharge of his or her duties or employment in the public interest and of his or her responsibilities as prescribed in the laws of this state, as defined in § 36-14-7; and d) No person subject to this code of ethics shall use in any way his or her public office or confidential information received through his or her holding any public office to obtain financial gain, other than that provided by law, for him or herself or any person within his or her family, any business associate, or any business by which the person is employed or which the person represents.

The Commission first took up the matter in June of last year when it voted unanimously to investigate the charges posed against Mr. Rose. In February of this year, the Commission agreed on the basis of probable cause to move forward with a case.

According to the initial complaint, Mr. Rose was alleged to have entered into a lease agreement in November 2015 with Enterprise Rent A Car for the use of a black late model Chevrolet Tahoe. Instead of taking out the lease in his own name, Mr. Rose was alleged to had the car allocated to the position "Mayor of East Providence."

The East Providence Police Department has an ongoing agreement with Enterprise to rent cars it uses for among other things in undercover investigations. The EPPD received a bill for Mr. Rose's Tahoe, which it did not pay.

A source at the time also indicated to The Post, another department was alleged to have been contacted for payment before Enterprise reached out to the city Finance Department to recoup the monies, which were at least $1,000 per month.

It was then brought to the attention of former City Manager Richard Kirby, who eventually pursued the matter with the Ethics Commission. Later in 2016, Mr. Rose was among the majority in a 3-2 vote to fire Mr. Kirby from his position.

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Mike Rego

Mike Rego has worked at East Bay Newspapers since 2001, helping the company launch The Westport Shorelines. He soon after became a Sports Editor, spending the next 10-plus years in that role before taking over as editor of The East Providence Post in February of 2012. To contact Mike about The Post or to submit information, suggest story ideas or photo opportunities, etc. in East Providence, email mrego@eastbaymediagroup.com.