Rep. Marshall amends finance reports, denies wrongdoing

By Christy Nadalin
Posted 7/12/18

“If someone were to do a report, they would find that almost every candidate amends on a fairly regular basis,” said Rep. Kenneth Marshall (D-68), refuting implications in a July 8 …

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Rep. Marshall amends finance reports, denies wrongdoing

Posted

“If someone were to do a report, they would find that almost every candidate amends on a fairly regular basis,” said Rep. Kenneth Marshall (D-68), refuting implications in a July 8 Providence Journal article by Katherine Gregg that there was any connection to the amended filing and Marshall’s decision to announce on Wednesday, June 27, in the last hour of the candidate-declaration period, that he would not be seeking reelection.

Nathan Carpenter, Rhode Island’s Progressive Democrat coordinator, thinks otherwise, suggesting that these amended reports are part of a bigger problem, statewide.

“These findings are nothing new and reflect an ongoing problem with some of the most powerful legislators here in Rhode Island,” Mr. Carpenter said in a statement. “Constituents should not have to worry about the honesty or integrity of our elected officials.

“May I remind you that this is Marshall’s second major offense, and we cannot have different rules for politicians who think they can do whatever want and not face the consequences.”

Mr. Marshall was previously fined for misreporting campaign contributions, but he insists that was due to honest errors and a bit of a learning curve with the reporting requirements.

“Until you’ve lived it — it’s a full time job,” Mr. Marshall says of reporting requirements. “It’s hard to manage on your own.”

Which is why Mr. Marshall doesn’t try to manage it on his own. After his previous reporting debacle was revealed in 2016, he hired Ed Galvin of Galvin & Associates, a certified campaign compliance officer, to help him make sure everything was above board. 

What’s more, Mr. Marshall points out that, during the course of his legislative career and leadership positions, he’s had a hand in the passage of several pieces of ethics and campaign finance legislation, particularly in the wake of the ethics scandals surrounding former House Speaker Gordon Fox and Rep. Raymond Gallison.

“I’ve always been in contact with the Board of Elections,” said Mr. Marshall. “I’ve co-sponsored campaign finance laws and was part of the ethics commission that tightened filing regulations. Now if you have more than $10,000 in your account you need to hire a treasurer and submit bank statements every year. We also recently passed a law that posts campaign finance filings online so the public can see.”

According to Mr. Marshall, the original BOE complaint submitted by Mr. Carpenter is easily explained — and will be, in a report by the campaign compliance firm, in the next couple of weeks. The alleged vacation expenses to New Hampshire, Vermont, and Quebec were all part of a trip to Quebec City that Mr. Marshall was expected to attend as a voting member of the executive board of the Council of State Governments, Eastern division. Charges made to a Florida hotel were a matter of accidentally using the wrong credit card, a mistake Mr. Marshall says he immediately rectified with a call to the BOE and a personal check covering the expense.

As for the amended filing, according to Mr. Marshall, it was simply due to his not depositing contributed checks in a timely fashion. 

“I have intended to retire after this session for more than two years now,” said Mr. Marshall. “My would-be opponent and his colleagues were all geared up to destroy me, and since they no longer have that opportunity, I think they see this attempt to embarrass me and my reputation as their only chance to hurt me and my family.

“I stand by my reputation, and my accomplishments — and I look forward to the Board of Elections’ findings.”

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A lifelong Portsmouth resident, Jim graduated from Portsmouth High School in 1982 and earned a journalism degree from the University of Rhode Island in 1986. He's worked two different stints at East Bay Newspapers, for a total of 18 years with the company so far. When not running all over town bringing you the news from Portsmouth, Jim listens to lots and lots and lots of music, watches obscure silent films from the '20s and usually has three books going at once. He also loves to cook crazy New Orleans dishes for his wife of 25 years, Michelle, and their two sons, Jake and Max.