PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Federal investigators have informed Rhode Island officials that they are looking into how money was spent leading up to the closure of the Washington Bridge, Gov. Dan McKee’s office announced Friday night.
In an email to reporters at 6 p.m., McKee press secretary Olivia Darocha said investigators from the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s inspector general are “seeking documents and records related to the Washington Bridge” from the R.I. Department of Transportation.
“This is not unexpected, and the governor welcomes the review,” Darocha said. “The governor has instructed the R.I. Department of Transportation to fully cooperate.”
A RIDOT spokesperson acknowledged the agency had received the letter from federal authorities around 10:30 a.m. Friday, more than seven hours before the governor’s office disclosed it publicly.
The governor’s office initially refused to release the letter Friday night, but almost immediately relented after being criticized for a lack of transparency.