Arrest of Providence Council Majority Leader
Oh, boy. Another one.
Providence City Council Majority Leader Kevin Jackson was arrested by state police Wednesday for allegedly embezzling more than $127,000 from a taxpayer-subsidized nonprofit he founded as well as misusing $12,000 in campaign contributions.
Note that he (allegedly) personally benefited from his public office in not one but two ways: via his campaign account and also from a taxpayer-funded non-profit that he controlled.
To focus just on the former for a moment, how many other elected officials are tapping into their campaign accounts to cover personal expenses? First Gordon Fox; now (allegedly) Kevin Jackson. How does anyone continue to make the case, with a straight face, that campaign finance accounts should not be made public, the way Massachusetts and other states do?
Monique is a data junkie, contributor to the Ocean State Current and Anchor Rising and researcher for the Rhode Island Center for Freedom and Prosperity. Please consider supporting the terrific work of the Center here:
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