PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — The Rhode Island Ethics Commission has dismissed a complaint filed by the state Republican party against Democratic Gov. Dan McKee alleging he violated state campaign finance laws after a lobbyist picked up a tab for lunch.
An investigative report submitted to the commission found McKee “acted reasonably and in good faith relative to payment for the January 2023 lunch at the Capital Grille restaurant” and that there “does not exist probable cause to believe that (McKee) committed a knowing and willful violation of the Code of Ethics.”
The commission voted 6-0 Tuesday to dismiss the complaint.
The GOP complaint filed last year alleged that McKee violated state law by allowing Jeff Britt, a lobbyist representing the urban development firm Scout Ltd., to pay for the $228 meal at the Capital Grille in Providence last January. Scout Ltd. was hoping to move ahead with a plan to redevelop the Cranston Street Armory in Providence.
Under Rhode Island ethics law, public officials are barred from accepting items worth $25 or more from anyone seeking to do business with the state.