RI Ethics Commission: Glocester Question, Smithfield Complaint

PROVIDENCE, RI — When the State Ethics Commission meets Tuesday, it will discuss two complaints in executive session and field a question from a Chepachet orchard owner who also works for the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management.

David J. DeCost, Jr. is a principal civil engineer for RIDEM's Division of Planning and Development. He also owns and operates an orchard in the town of Glocester. DeCost wants to know whether he is prohibited by the Code of Ethics from applying for a Local Agriculture and Seafood Act Grant advertised by RIDEM's Division of Agriculture. He also wants to know if he qualifies for a hardship exception to the prohibition against representing himself before the state agency by which he is employed for purposes of seeking the grant. That discussion will take place in open session.

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The commission will discuss two complaints behind closed doors, one involving a Democratic candidate in the Providence mayor's race. Brett Smiley is the former Director of Administration to Governor Gina Raimondo. He is accused of taking campaign violations from state vendors, an alleged violation of his own 2020 promise to the commission. Smiley has returned some of those donations. The matter has been covered in-depth by The Providence Journal and WPRI. The ethics complaint was filed by the Rhode Island Republican Party.

A complaint naming Smithfield Town Council President Suzanna Alba is also on the agenda. Local businessman Alfred Costantino filed the complaint related to Alba's vote on the purchase of the $1.2 million Camp Shepard property. According to The Valley Breeze, Alba is accused of violating the Code of Ethics when she attended meetings and discussions on the Camp Shepard purchase as an abutter and not recusing herself.

The Rhode Island Ethics Commission is located at 40 Fountain St. in Providence. The meeting is set for June 29 at 9 a.m. The agenda provides information about attending remotely.