Erik Wallin: Kilmartin is Part of the Problem

Attorney General Candidate Erik Wallin today congratulated Representative Kilmartin for his proposal to “crack down” on public corruption in Rhode Island. “In a press release today, Representative Kilmartin detailed what he would do to enhance a public corruption unit in the Attorney General’s office and create a tip-line — and, since he clearly just took my proposal and put his name on it, I will say that I agree with him.”

For over a year, Wallin has spoken about the need for a Public Corruption Unit/Task Force staffed by three seasoned prosecutors and a forensic auditor as well as a 24-hr tip-line all working together with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Rhode Island State Police. Each of these proposals, including increasing prison and pension penalties, and more, are all embodied in Wallin’s twenty-four page Honest Operation of Public Entities (HOPE) Act (which was released on May 25, 2010 and can be found at www.wallinforag.com).

“As an almost 20 year veteran of the General Assembly – many of those years serving in the leadership – Representative Kilmartin has had ample opportunity to get passed this type of proposal. My HOPE Act codifies this Public Corruption Unit as I believe it is more important than any one Attorney General and should always exist to protect Rhode Islanders. So I ask: where was Representative Kilmartin on this issue for the last 20 years and if public corruption “never sleeps” then what was the 20-year delay?”

Wallin continued, “We don’t need a 20-year political insider as Attorney General – someone who feels that it is appropriate to hold a political press conference inside a courtroom just a few short weeks ago. That type of thinking clearly shows that he’s part of the problem – not the solution.”

Press Release: Erik Wallin for Attorney General