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Rhode Island
Matos campaign worker charged with falsifying nomination papers | ABC6
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — A campaign worker for Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos was charged with falsifying nomination papers in the official’s failed run for U.S. Congress last year.
A spokesperson for the Office of the Attorney General said 43-year-old Christopher Cotham was charged for his alleged role in the gathering of fraudulent signatures to benefit Matos’s campaign.
In August of last year, the Rhode Island Board of Elections revealed it looked into all 1,285 signatures gathered, approving 726 and disqualifying 559.
The board reported that, among those disqualified, 29 were blank, four were duplicates, 281 of the signatures were unregistered voters, 38 were ineligible, 126 signatures did not match, and 81 were in the wrong district.
Matos maintained that she had collected “more than enough” signatures to be on the ballot for the 1st Congressional District special election.
Representative Gabe Amo went on to win the primary, with Matos receiving just 8% of the vote.
On Monday, Cotham was charged with with two counts of falsely making a nomination paper while knowing it to be falsely made, and two counts of submitting nomination papers to election officials containing information known to be false.
Matos released the following statement regarding the charges:
“It is vital that the people who demeaned Rhode Island’s democratic process are held accountable for their actions. As I’ve said from day one, this is a serious crime that was perpetrated against Rhode Islanders’ confidence in our state’s free and fair elections, and I am more invested than anyone in a thorough and public investigation.
“I’m glad to learn that the Attorney General has taken this important step forward in that process. I will continue to support our justice system in any way I can to ensure the truth comes to light, as well as supporting reforms to the reporting structure to protect our democratic process.”
Officials said a pre-trial conference for Cotham is scheduled for April 11 at 10:30 a.m.
CUMBERLAND, R.I. (WPRI) — Rhode Island State Police are investigating a crash that happened on I-295 North in Cumberland Tuesday night.
The crash happened in the right lane near Exit 22 just before 9 p.m.
It’s unclear exactly what caused the crash or if anyone was injured.
12 News has reached out to Rhode Island State Police for more information but has not heard back.
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Scandals shake up Capitol Hill ahead of midterm elections
Congressional reporter Zachary Schermele dives into the latest scandals on Capitol Hill and how they’re shaking up politics ahead of midterms.
Rhode Island’s Democrat and Republican primary elections will officially be held on Wednesday, Sept. 9 this year, instead of the usual Tuesday election day.
Lawmakers passed the bill at the urging of state and local officials, who were concerned that an election day falling the day after Labor Day would not give them enough time to set up polls for the arrival of voters.
Gov. Dan McKee signed the bill on April 20, officially moving the primary day for 2026.
Which races will be on the ballot? The Republican and Democrat nominees for a swath of local offices – most notably governor but also lieutenant governor and attorney general.
Why was RI’s primary day moved?
At a hearing on the bill earlier this year, Randy Rossi, executive director of the Rhode Island League of Cities and Towns explained the “significant logistical and financial challenges” municipalities otherwise would have faced having an election the day after Labor Day.
“Beyond cost, municipalities face serious logistical challenges accessing and setting up more than 430 polling locations on a major federal holiday, a process that often requires many hours and access to facilities that are typically closed and unstaffed on Labor Day,” he said.
“Compounding these challenges, many municipalities conduct early voting in city or town halls that must also serve as primary day polling locations,” Rossi noted.
Without changes to current law, he said, “municipalities would be required to conduct early voting and primary day polling simultaneously, often in the same limited space and with the same poll workers, requiring additional staffing and facilities.”
By the time this legislative hearing took place in January, other states facing similar issues, including Massachusetts, had already adjusted their primary dates, “and Rhode Island itself has demonstrated that alternative scheduling can be successful, as occurred during the statewide Wednesday primary in 2018,” Rossi said.
EAST GREENWICH, R.I. (WPRI) — If you’re looking to satisfy you’re sweet tooth, look no further than Division Street.
Nothing Bundt Cakes opened its first Rhode Island bakery in East Greenwich earlier this month. The new bakery is situated within East Greenwich Square, which is also home to the Ocean State’s first Crumbl.
The bakery is known for its handcrafted specialty Bundt cakes, as well as smaller “Bundtlets,” and bite-sized “Bundtinis,” that come in a variety of flavors.
“There’s a strong sense of local pride, creativity, and community here that aligns perfectly with our values,” said Jake Williams, who owns the East Greenwich bakery. “We were drawn to the area’s vibrant small business culture and the opportunity to contribute something special.”
Nothing Bundt Cakes is also expected to open another bakery at Chapel View in Cranston later this year.
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Watch 12 News Now on WPRI.com or with the free WPRI 12+ TV app.
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