Lt. Gov. Decries Lack of Transparency in Government Contracting and Calls for Investigation of Favoritism
PROVIDENCE — Lt. Gov. Elizabeth H. Roberts today issued the following statement regarding recent revelations of a $370,000 no-bid agreement to pay a consulting firm with personal ties to the recently confirmed state chief of health and human services.
“I am gravely concerned at the actions of the Governor and the Department of Human Services that resulted in a no-bid no-contract agreement for a personal friend of Secretary Alexander. In these times of budget crisis, the need for transparency is paramount to ensure that tax dollars are being used effectively and according to accepted standards.
“I am equally dismayed that the public has been misled about the involvement of the Lucas Group in an exceedingly important negotiation process that affects nearly 1/3 of our state's budget and close to 200,000 Rhode Islanders.
“I call on the Attorney General to begin an immediate investigation to determine if this case constitutes a violation of state laws around purchasing and transparency.
“It is essential to restore confidence in Rhode Island’s government Conducting business in this manner erodes Rhode Islander’s confidence in their state government. Circumventing procurement rules, bypassing contract procedures, misleading the public and employing cronyism at any level is unacceptable, and undermines the public’s confidence in government, especially at this crucial time.”
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