Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch issued the following comment concerning the RI Ethics Commission’s dismissal today of a complaint, at a “show cause” hearing, brought against him by the RI Republican Party concerning a trip that Lynch took to New Orleans in February 2008:

“The Ethics Commission reviewed this complaint extensively, determined that it lacked merit and dismissed it at the initial determination stage of the investigation. I appreciate the commission’s work, attention to detail and, of course, its finding.

“The commission’s decision reveals the GOP’s complaint to be what it always was: pure political maneuvering in advance of the 2010 election cycle. Sometimes political maneuvering can actually be perceived as being ‘good government,’ at least in the clarity of hindsight. This frivolous tactic, however, never had even the thinnest veneer of merit.

“What is discouraging is that political candidates and parties continue to use the Ethics Commission, which is a valued institution, as a tool to grind their political axes. Although the process is imperfect, individuals and organizations that repeatedly file frivolous complaints demean the process.

“The process worked and the commission found, as I have always maintained, that I was acting in my official capacity as Attorney General, working toward an historic agreement to keep child pornography off of wireless networks. I am proud of my efforts to protect Rhode Island’s children and I will continue to work tirelessly to keep them safe from online and other predators.”

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