Financial Disclosure

All State appointed and elected officials and employees holding major decision-making positions, as well as all municipal elected and certain municipal appointed officials are required by law to file a Financial Disclosure Statement every year. See R.I. Gen. Laws § 36-14-16. All officials required to file must continue to file Financial Disclosure Statements until they have been out of office for one full calendar year. Additionally, candidates for elected office are required to file a Financial Disclosure Statement within 30 days of filing a Declaration of Candidacy or Notice of Organization.

The Code of Ethics requires that a Financial Disclosure Statement be filed with the Ethics Commission by the last Friday in April, or within thirty (30) days of appointment to a filing public position.  Candidates for elective office must file within (30) days of filing a Declaration of Candidacy or Notice of Organization.

The purpose of requiring financial disclosure is to increase transparency, encourage public trust in government, and to help insure that those people who are acting in the public interest do not use their public positions to further their private financial interests. The Financial Disclosure Statement also provides evidence that there are no conflicts between an official's financial interests and his or her public office.

The Financial Disclosure Statement requires the listing of certain assets and sources of income, but does not required divulging net worth. Some, but not all, of the information that is required is: The name of the public official’s employer, spouse, and dependent children; names of businesses in which the public official, spouse or dependent children have at least a 10% or $5,000 ownership or investment interest; a description of all real estate other than the official’s principal residence; entities (whether for-profit or not-for-profit) for which the public official acts as an officer or director; and debts of more than $1,000 to anyone other than family members, financial institutions where the debt is secured by a mortgage on the filer's principal residence, or debts arising from credit card transactions.

The financial disclosure law passed by the General Assembly requires that the Financial Disclosure Statement be filed whether or not an individual is paid for his or her public position or services. Even unpaid public officials exercise important decision-making authority on behalf of government, and it is necessary that all decision-makers, whether paid or unpaid, be open and accountable.

For anyone who is already in office, the Ethics Commission will allow an extension of up to sixty (60) days if the request for an extension is received before the filing deadline, or if the deadline is not met due to physical or mental incapacity. A candidate for public elective office may obtain an extension of fifteen (15) days if a written request is received by the Commission by the date on which the statement is due.

If a late or incomplete filing is found to be knowing and willful, the Ethics Commission has authority to impose a civil penalty of up to $25,000.

You may file your statement online, by clicking the online filing button on our home page.  Online filing is fast and simple, and you will be emailed a confirmation of filing and a copy of your completed statement.  You need not complete your statement in one sitting, as your answers will be saved from session to session until you choose to submit the form.  If you are unable to file online, a hard copy form can be downloaded from this page, or can be obtained at the Commission offices or by calling or emailing us to request a form.

Yes. Each question must be answered. If a question does not apply to you, please write "not applicable." An incomplete form cannot be submitted through our online filing portal, and an incomplete hard-copy form will be rejected and returned to you via US mail.

Yes.  If you received more than $1,000 by reason of your public position, whether dubbed a "stipend" or otherwise, you are required to disclose this income and the payor on the Financial Disclosure Statement.

If you, your spouse or dependent child held a position as a director, officer, partner, trustee or a management position in a business or non-profit organization, the name and position must be listed.

The Ethics Commission is empowered by the Rhode Island Constitution to adopt provisions provisions governing and enforcing financial disclosure by public officials. R.I. Const. Art. III, Sec. 8.  Statutes enacted by the General Assembly set forth those public officials who are required by law to file.  The financial disclosure laws and regulations, and the entire Code of Ethics, can be reviewed on this website.