Rhode Island
R.I. GOP candidate off the ballot after elections panel rejects signatures • Rhode Island Current
Kenneth Atkinson knew something was up when the Board of Elections called him at work last Friday afternoon.
The very person he was challenging for the District 45 seat in the Rhode Island House of Representatives — Cumberland Democratic Rep. Mia Ackerman — was trying to disqualify signatures on the Republican hopeful’s nomination forms.
A review Monday by the Rhode Island Board of Elections rejected four of Atkinson’s collected signatures. That means he won’t be on the ballot.
“I’m a custodian for crying out loud. I’m running for people like me, people who work in McDonald’s, people with these blue collar jobs, whatever,” Atkinson, who works at a senior center in East Providence, told Rhode Island Current. “She has no opponent.”
The challenge was one of three the elections panel heard Monday, and the only one to result in a candidate’s removal from the ballot. Board members Louis DeSimone, Michael Connors and Diane Mederos were not present at the meeting.
Atkinson was planning to make his first run for office to oust Ackerman from the seat she’s held since 2013, one which covers parts of Cumberland and Lincoln. Just hours before the 4 p.m. signature deadline on June 14, Atkinson stood outside a Cumberland CVS in the rain, and collected a handful of signatures that brought him to a total of 51 — just over the minimum of 50 signatures needed to qualify.
Ackerman was not present at the Monday hearing and was instead represented by attorney David Hayes. Ackerman could not be reached for comment Monday evening. According to the Secretary of State’s website, she had 70 verified signatures on her nomination papers. She is unopposed in the Democratic primary and faces no other Republican challenger, joining over 50 of her General Assembly colleagues without opponents this year in both the primary and general elections.
Ackerman challenged 13 signatures collected by Atkinson and the board invalidated three. An additional signature was also nullified after the board found it suspiciously similar to another on the same collection sheet. Atkinson was then left with only 47 validated by the end of the hearing.
Atkinson said in a phone interview Monday night that he believed the board’s decision to trash just enough of his signatures was indicative of a wider trend in state electoral politics.
“People like me are constantly turned off,” he said. “And that’s why you have 30-something seats going unopposed right now. Now my opponent…she’s won an election because she got her opponent off the ballot.”
“But if she’s that great of an opponent, she would have just let this let this slide,” Atkinson said.
Ackerman’s attorney Hayes argued that some of Atkinson’s signatures did not match a voter’s handwriting in town records. Other signees did not appear to have written their full, legal name in the printed name portion of the nomination forms. One signee used “ WM. P” in place of his first name William. Hayes wondered: How could election staff look that person up?
Raymond A. Marcaccio, the board’s legal counsel, replied that a voter is usually first referenced by their last name. After all, local election officials could and did identify the signee and OK’d the signature. Ultimately, the Board of Elections did, too.
Now my opponent…she’s won an election because she got her opponent off the ballot.
– Kenneth Atkinson, Republican hopeful for the Rhode Island House District 45 seat now disqualified from ballot
State law provides that signatures can’t be invalidated by “the insertion or omission of identifying titles or by the substitution of initials for the first or middle names,” as long as the signature “can be reasonably identified to be the signature of the voter it purports to be.”
While the board ultimately invalidated enough signatures to remove Atkinson from the ballot, it did not entertain all of Hayes’ arguments for a strict interpretation of signature variations.
“I know what my name looks like on my original voter registration from a very long time ago, because I’m involved in this process,” said board member Randall Jackvony. “Most people do not. So I think to expect that they’re going to always match precisely, is putting an incredible burden on the voter.”
Atkinson offered to end review of the remaining signatures, but Marcaccio advised against this in case litigation ever arose, so the board continued to review the contested signatures.
Two more signature objections found lacking
The Board of Elections heard two other signature-related objections Monday, each of which met something of an anticlimactic end and left challengers’ nomination forms unaffected.
Democrat Brian Coogan, a former state rep challenging Sen. Valarie Lawson, an East Providence Democrat, for the Senate seat 14, objected to five signatures on Lawson’s nomination forms.
Coogan said the signatures were collected by a person different from the campaign worker who signed off on the signatures, and added that one witness had supplied an affidavit in support of his contention.
But at Monday’s meeting, Coogan — who testified that he cut his camping trip early to attend the meeting — was the only party involved who made an appearance. Without Lawson, her campaign workers or the witness present, legal counsel Marcaccio suggested the board let elections staff look into the issue without further action for the moment.
Board member David Sholes agreed with Marcaccio’s recommendation that state election staff prepare a report on the contested signatures. But it wouldn’t affect the outcome of the contes. Lawson turned in 183 validated signatures. Even if the senator lost five signatures, she would still be well over the 100 needed to qualify for the Senate.
“Whatever that report is, it’s going to be independent of the race,” Sholes said. “Both [candidates] qualify…It’s not going to affect your placement on the ballot, either yours or your opponent.”
The third signature challenge involved an objection filed by Rhode Island GOP Chairman Joe Powers against Paul Roselli, the Democrat running against Republican Rep. David Place for the House seat 47, which spans Burrillville and Glocester.
But there was one problem with Powers’ objection to six of Roselli’s signatures: It needed to be physically signed to be valid. Powers had instead filed the objection electronically, which meant the Board rejected iit, leaving Roselli’s nomination forms and signature counts unaffected.
“We appreciate the fact that you had to wait here…but there is that deficiency with the filing,” said Marcaccio.
“I live down the street,” Powers said. “I’m good.”
GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Rhode Island
Here’s how Rhode Island women’s basketball opened the A-10 Tournament with a win on Thursday
Watch Sophia Vital’s final shot lead URI women’s basketball over UMass
Sophia Vital goes strong to the basket in the final minute to score what proves to be the game-winner as URI beats UMass 60-58 Wednesday night.
HENRICO, Va. — With Rhode Island struggling on offense Thursday in the Atlantic 10 women’s basketball tournament, the Rams turned to defense for a 52-41 victory over George Washington University.
It was that defense that helped turn a two-point halftime lead to a five-point advantage after three quarters despite not making a field goal. They did, however, make nine of 11 free throws and hold the Revolutionaries to six points in those 10 minutes. The win means a 1:30 p.m. tipoff on Friday against No. 4 St. Joseph’s, a team URI defeated last month.
“You don’t see it very often,” URI coach Tammi Reiss said of not making a field goal in a quarter, although she thinks her team has done it this season. “We hang our hat on defensive. We’re not built as this great offensive team.”
The reason the Rams (17-15 and the fifth seed) increased the lead is because they held the Revolutionaries (13-18, the 12th seed) scoreless for the final 5:15 of the quarter, taking a 38-33 lead after three. The Rams continued that strong defense into the fourth quarter, holding the Revolutionaries scoreless for another 2:01.
“We’re not the best offensive team in the league, but we are a very good defensive team,” Reiss said. “We win games when we defend and rebound. And the difference today, they did that. They stayed locked in no matter how they were shooting, no matter what happened.”
Harsimran “Honey” Kaur, the Rams’ 6-foot-4-inch senior center, had 12 points and 11 rebounds, and junior guard Ines Debroise added 11 points and three assists. Anaelle Dutat, a 6-foot junior forward who leads the Rams with 8 rebounds a game, had 10 to go with six points. Sophia Vital, a sophomore guard, added nine points.
Makayla Andrews had 14 points for GWU, and Kamari Sims added 11.
For the game, URI was 13 for 62 from the field (21%), including 0 for 15 in that third quarter. The Rams, however, held GWU to 30% shooting (15 for 50). The Rams had 18 offensive rebounds, committed a season-low six turnovers to GWU’s 18, and made 21 of 26 free throws (80.8%) while the Revolutionaries went 6 for 12 from the line (50%).
The free throws surprised Reiss.
“You’ll never see that stat for us,” she said. “We will never shoot more free throws than our opponent. We just don’t.”
The two teams met just five days prior, with GWU winning, 54-46, at URI in the regular-season finale. Reiss set three goals for her team in the rematch: Take care of the basketball, force turnovers and limit GWU to 50 points.
“We hit all three game goals today,” she said. “When we do two of three, we always win. When we do one of three or none like we did against GW last game, we don’t win basketball games.”
After GWU tied the game at 33 at 5:15 of the third quarter, URI scored the next eight points for a 41-33 lead with 8:22 to go in the game. GWU responded with basket in the paint and a pair of free throws, but Kaur hit two from the line for a 43-37 lead with 5:50 left. A 3-pointer from senior guard Sophia Phillips (six points) extended the lead to 46-37 with 4:28 left, all but icing the game.
Kaur said she and her teammates didn’t get discouraged when struggling to score. They kept “the main thing the main thing.”
“Defense and rebounding was the main thing for us coming back from the last game,” she said, referring to the loss to GWU.
Debroise said the key was making sure the offense didn’t dictate the defense. They concentrated on getting stops on the defensive end and rebounding.
“We find ways to score,” she said. “If we’re not shooting well or making every shot, we find a way to score and get the win.”
The reward for the win, which snapped a two-game losing streak, is a quarterfinal matchup Friday against third-seeded St. Joseph’s. The teams met once in the regular season, with the Rams prevailing, 70-65, on Feb. 19.
Reiss likes her team’s chances if they hit those goals again.
“That’s what I’m most proud of,” Reiss said. “The team was locked into our game plan, and they executed it for 40 minutes.”
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Rhode Island Senators David Morales and Mark McKenney will be joined by several organizations to rally support for the Freedom to Read Act.
That package of bills would exempt libraries from book banning efforts, and “Affirm the free speech rights of authors, publishers and readers in Rhode Island.”
The event is set for 3 p.m. Thursday at the library in the state house.
Crime families in Rhode Island
A look back at some Rhode Island and New England mobsters.
Journal Staff
PROVIDENCE – A Warwick social worker labeled “the five-minute queen” for the speed with which she shuttled through clients will serve three months’ on home confinement for her role in a scheme to defraud the government and insurers while robbing patients of crucial opioid treatment.
U.S. District Court Judge Mary McElroy on Wednesday sentenced Mi Ok Song Bruining, 64, to three years of supervised release, with the first three months on home confinement, for conspiring with her former boss to commit health care fraud out of a Providence opioid treatment center.
McElroy also ordered Bruining to perform 100 hours of community service, and pay $100,000 in restitution.
“People rely on their mental health professionals … for guidance,” McElroy said while acknowledging that Michael Brier CEO of Recovery Connections Centers of America, was the ringleader.
Bruining, who will lose her license, expressed regret in court.
“I profoundly apologize,” she said.
How the scheme went down
Brier ran Recovery Connections Centers of America, with offices in Rhode Island and Massachusetts from headquarters on Wickenden Street, with Bruining acting as the supervisor.
Under the scheme, the office billed insurance companies for 45-minute counseling sessions per patient when each actually received only a few minutes of attention.
Bruining, who previously pleaded guilty, was known as the “five-minute queen” for her ability to shrink counseling sessions to mere minutes. Authorities accused her of training staff on the tactics, equipping one with a bell to ensure that patients moved briskly along.
Upon their arrest in 2023, authorities called the scheme “one of the most brazen and egregious examples of health care fraud the FBI has seen here in Rhode Island in recent history.”
McElroy sentenced Brier, of Newton, Massachusetts, to 98 months in prison for defrauding Medicare while depriving patients struggling with substance-use disorders of needed treatment. He must pay $3.5 million in restitution.
Iowa State women’s basketball: Addy Brown’s career night lifts Cyclones over Arizona State
Brian Platt suspended with pay from city manager position
'Never alone:' Kentucky marks five years since its first reported case of COVID-19
Trump administration officials visit Louisiana plant to highlight huge LNG expansion
Janet Mills welcomes suspension of tariffs on Canada but says chaos harms Maine's economy
Why Marjorie Taylor Greene was ‘kicked out’ of the Freedom Caucus according to Rep. Buck
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
Federal Workers Who Were Fired and Rehired by the Trump Administration
Trump FDA nominee turns vaccine question on Dem, recalling controversial Biden decision
Trump again spreads baseless claims about Trudeau, Canada’s election
Steve Carell announces that a charity will fund proms for students affected by LA fires
Who Paid for Trump’s Transition to Power? The Donors Are Still Unknown.
-
Sports1 week agoNHL trade board 7.0: The 4 Nations break is over, and things are about to get real
-
News1 week agoJustice Dept. Takes Broad View of Trump’s Jan. 6 Pardons
-
World1 week agoHamas says deal reached with Israel to release more than 600 Palestinians
-
Science1 week agoKilling 166 million birds hasn’t helped poultry farmers stop H5N1. Is there a better way?
-
News1 week agoChristianity’s Decline in U.S. Appears to Have Halted, Major Study Shows
-
World1 week agoGermany's Merz ‘resolute and determined,' former EU chief Barroso says
-
Technology1 week agoMicrosoft makes Copilot Voice and Think Deeper free with unlimited use
-
Culture1 week agoOstriches, butt cheeks and relentless energy: How Austin Hedges became an indispensable MLB teammate