November 18, 2025

MINUTES OF THE OPEN SESSION

OF THE RHODE ISLAND ETHICS COMMISSION

November 18, 2025

The Rhode Island Ethics Commission held its 16^th meeting of 2025 at 9:00 a.m. at the Rhode Island Ethics Commission conference room, located at 40 Fountain Street, 8th Floor, Providence, Rhode Island, on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, pursuant to the notice published at the Commission offices, the State House Library, and electronically with the Rhode Island Secretary of State.

The following Commissioners were present:

Lauren E. Jones, Chair Emma L. Peterson

Holly J. Susi, Vice Chair Scott P. Rabideau

Dr. Michael Browner, Jr. Hugo L. Ricci, Jr.

Christopher P. Callahan

The following Commissioners were not present: Frank J. Cenerini and Matthew D. Strauss.

Also present were Herbert F. DeSimone, Jr., Commission Legal Counsel; Jason Gramitt, Commission Executive Director; Katherine D’Arezzo, Senior Staff Attorney; Lynne M. Radiches, Staff Attorney/Education Coordinator; Staff Attorneys Teresa Giusti and Teodora Popova Papa; and Commission Investigators Peter J. Mancini, Gary V. Petrarca, and Kevin Santurri.

At 9:01 a.m., the Chair opened the meeting.

The first order of business was:

Approval of minutes of the Open Session held on October 21, 2025.

Upon motion made by Commissioner Rabideau and duly seconded by Commissioner Susi, it was

VOTED: To approve the minutes of the Open Session held on October 21, 2025.

AYES: Holly J. Susi; Michael Browner, Jr.; Scott P. Rabideau; and Hugo L. Ricci, Jr.

ABSTENTIONS: Lauren E. Jones; Christopher P. Callahan; and Emma L. Peterson.

Chair Jones noted that In re: Heidi Weston Rogers agenda item will be continued to the Commission’s next meeting date.

The next order of business was:

Director’s Report: Status report and updates.

a.) Complaints and investigations pending

There are five complaints pending. Executive Director Gramitt informed as follows:

Following a pre-adjudication conference held with Chair Jones, Legal Counsel DeSimone, and respective counsel for the parties in the Thorsen matter, the proposed hearing dates are March 10, and March 17, 2026. He further informed that the selected date will be a special meeting reserved solely for the adjudication, which might last a full day.

In response to Chair Jones, Executive Director Gramitt informed that he did not believe that the evidentiary issues raised at the pre-adjudication conference would delay the adjudication given that any related motions would be considered at the February 10, 2026, Commission meeting. The consensus was to conduct the adjudication on March 17, 2026, and Chair Jones requested that notice of this date be specially conveyed to Commissioners Cenerini and Strauss. Executive Director Gramitt stated that he will inform all commissioners via email of this date.

Executive Director Gramitt also informed that a tentative 2026 meeting schedule was included in the meeting materials emailed to the commissioners. He stated that he is happy to send to any interested commissioners an electronic invitation to the 2026 meetings that will prepopulate on their Outlook calendars.
In re: Heidi Weston Rogers, which is not an adjudication, has been continued to December 16, 2025.
In re: Jonathan Pascua is scheduled for an extension of time today in executive session.
In re: James Durkin is also scheduled for an extension of time today in executive session.
In re: Jeffrey McCormick is under investigation.

b.) Advisory opinions pending

There are six advisory opinions pending, five of which have been noticed for today’s meeting.

c.) Access to Public Records Act requests since last meeting

There were no APRA requests received since the last meeting.

d.) Financial disclosure

None.

e.) General office administration

The final meeting of 2025 is scheduled for December 16th. Executive Director Gramitt informed that Administrative Assistant Sabrina Depina is on maternity leave following the birth of her son.

The next order of business was:

Advisory Opinions.

The advisory opinions were based on draft advisory opinions prepared by Commission Staff for review by the Commission and were scheduled as items on the Open Session Agenda for this date.

The first advisory opinion was that of:

Raymond Taylor, the supervisor of the Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (OWTS) program within the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM), requests an advisory opinion regarding whether he qualifies for a hardship exception to the Code of Ethics’ prohibition against representing himself before the RIDEM’s Freshwater Wetlands program in order to seek approval of site plan application relative to the construction of a detached, two-car garage structure and a small dock at his personal residence, and whether he may engage the services of a land surveyor who is licensed by the OWTS program as a septic designer and, if so, what restrictions, if any, the Code of Ethics imposes upon the Petitioner.

Staff Attorney Popova Papa presented the Commission Staff recommendation. The Petitioner was present. Upon motion made by Commissioner Rabideau and duly seconded by Commissioner Browner, it was unanimously

VOTED: To issue an advisory opinion to Raymond Taylor, the supervisor of the Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems (OWTS) program within the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM).

Chair Jones inquired of Staff Attorney Popova Papa whether she advised the Petitioner for how long after his project is completed will he be required to recuse from matters involving his surveyor. She informed that she discussed with the Petitioner that he is required to recuse as long as a business association exists or is expected with the surveyor.

The next advisory opinion was that of:

Olinda Lissette Suchite-Mendez, the former minority business support director for the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation, who is now privately employed as a small business services administrator with Skills for Rhode Island’s Future, requests an advisory opinion regarding whether she may, within one year following the severance of her position with the Commerce Corporation, attend and participate in meetings with business owners who might be interested in working with Skills for Rhode Island’s Future, given that those meetings are held at and hosted by the Commerce Corporation and, if so, whether and how the revolving door provisions of the Code of Ethics might otherwise apply to her current private employment.

Staff Attorney Radiches presented the Commission Staff recommendation. The Petitioner was present. In response to Commissioner Callahan, Staff Attorney Radiches explained that the one-year revolving door prohibition applies at the end of an individual’s employment regardless of how long they were employed. Upon motion made by Commissioner Peterson and duly seconded by Commissioner Callahan, it was unanimously

VOTED: To issue an advisory opinion to Olinda Lissette Suchite-Mendez, the former minority business support director for the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation, who is now privately employed as a small business services administrator with Skills for Rhode Island’s Future.

The next advisory opinion was that of:

Ronald P. Flynn, a member of the Coventry Planning Commission, requests an advisory opinion regarding whether he is prohibited by the Code of Ethics from participating in discussions and decision-making relative to a matter currently pending before the planning commission, given that the applicant in the matter was hired by the Petitioner to construct the Petitioner’s personal residence, a project that was completed in 2021.

Staff Attorney Radiches presented the Commission Staff recommendation. The Petitioner was present. Upon motion made by Commissioner Ricci and duly seconded by Commissioner Browner, it was unanimously

VOTED: To issue an advisory opinion to Ronald P. Flynn, a member of the Coventry Planning Commission.

The next advisory opinion was that of:

Peter W. Meusert, a member of the Scituate Town Council who in his private capacity is a volunteer firefighter with the North Scituate Fire Department No.1, a private, non-profit organization, requests an advisory opinion regarding whether he is prohibited by the Code of Ethics from participating, as a town council member, in discussions between the town council and the fire department relative to complaints received by town council members regarding the operation of the fire department.

Staff Attorney Popova Papa presented the Commission Staff recommendation. The Petitioner was present. The Petitioner addressed the Commission to express his disagreement with the opinion that he is a business associate of the fire department. He argued that a volunteer fireman is not considered a business associate of his respective fire department under Rhode Island law and that the Ethics Commission has stated that the relationship between a volunteer firefighter and his department is a municipal agency relationship, rather than a business association. The Petitioner explained that the town council does not vote in executive session but convenes in a given matter to ask questions and gather facts and then votes at a later time in open session. He informed the Commission that, given his experience with the fire department, he would like to be able to participate in executive session discussions regarding fire department operations but that he would recuse from any resulting votes in open session. The Petitioner also argued that the class exception should apply to these facts because any town council decisions that might result in a reduction in the number of emergency calls received, and in the amount of his stipend, would impact every volunteer firefighter in the department. In response, Chair Jones explained that the Petitioner is considered a business associate of the fire department because he receives a stipend, whereas unpaid volunteer firefighters are not considered business associates of their respective departments.

Commissioner Callahan expressed concern that if the Petitioner were allowed to participate in town council discussions, he might appear to favor his department over the three other volunteer departments in town in vying for town funds. The Petitioner responded that the fire departments’ operating budgets are approved by the town’s financial board of which the Petitioner is a member. He explained that he recuses from the board’s decisions regarding the four fire departments’ funding. In response to Commissioner Ricci, Chair Jones stated that, even though the Petitioner’s participation in executive session is limited to discussions and not voting, he could wield his authority over those discussions and thereby influence the ultimate vote. The Petitioner inquired whether he could respond to questions posed to him outside executive session meetings. Commissioner Peterson stated that the Petitioner should apply the same reasoning to such situations as he does to recusing from the financial board discussions. Upon motion made by Commissioner Callahan and duly seconded by Commissioner Rabideau, it was unanimously

VOTED: To issue an advisory opinion to Peter W. Meusert, a member of the Scituate Town Council who in his private capacity is a volunteer firefighter with the North Scituate Fire Department No.1, a private, non-profit organization.

The final advisory opinion was that of:

Jeffrey Wolfsberg, an administrator at the Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities & Hospitals, requests an advisory opinion regarding whether the Code of Ethics prohibits him from accepting private, part-time employment as a recovery coach/peer support specialist with Tipping Point Recovery, an addiction recovery intervention company.

Staff Attorney Popova Papa presented the Commission Staff recommendation. The Petitioner was not present. Staff Attorney Popova Papa informed that she left a couple of messages for the Petitioner about his attendance and the Commission proceeding in his absence, but she has not heard back. The Commission agreed to proceed. In response to Commissioner Susi, Staff Attorney Popova Papa stated that the draft opinion reflects her conversation with the Petitioner in which he represented that he would reduce his part-time hours to four to six per week instead of eight to twelve as indicated in his letter. Upon motion made by Commissioner Callahan and duly seconded by Commissioner Browner, it was unanimously

VOTED: To issue an advisory opinion to Jeffrey Wolfsberg, an administrator at the Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities & Hospitals.

At 9:56 a.m., upon motion made by Commissioner Ricci and duly seconded by Commissioner Rabideau, it was unanimously:

VOTED: To go into Executive Session, to wit:

a.) Motion to approve minutes of Executive Session held on October 21, 2025, pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws § 42-46-5(a)(2) & (4).

b.) In re: James Durkin, Complaint No. 2025-4, pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws § 42-46-5(a)(2) & (4).

c.) In re: Jonathan Pascua, Complaint No. 2025-2, pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws § 42-46-5(a)(2) & (4).

d.) Motion to return to Open Session.

At 10:02 a.m., the Commission reconvened in Open Session.

The next order of business was:

Motion to seal minutes of November 18, 2025, Executive Session.

Upon motion made by Commissioner Callahan and duly seconded by Commissioner Browner, it was unanimously

VOTED: To seal the minutes of Executive Session held on November 18, 2025.

The next order of business was:

Report on actions taken in Executive Session.

Chair Jones reported that the Commission took the following actions in Executive Session:

Voted (4-0) to approve the minutes of the Executive Session held on October 21, 2025.

[Reporter’s Note: The vote was as follows:

AYES: Michael Browner, Jr.; Scott P. Rabideau; Hugo L. Ricci, Jr.; and Holly J. Susi.

ABSTENTIONS: Lauren E. Jones; Christopher P. Callahan; and Emma L. Peterson.]

Unanimously voted (7-0) in the matter of In re: James Durkin, Complaint No. 2025-4, to grant the Prosecution’s Motion to Enlarge Time for Investigation, First Extension by 60 days to February 28, 2026.
Unanimously voted (7-0) in the matter of In re: Jonathan Pascua, Complaint No. 2025-2, to grant the Prosecution’s Motion to Enlarge Time for Investigation, Second Extension by 60 days to February 19, 2026.
Unanimously voted (7-0) to return to Open Session.

The next order of business was:

Election of Officers.

At Chair Jones’ request, Executive Director Gramitt reviewed the Commission’s procedure for the annual election of its officers.

Chair Jones requested that Vice Chair Susi conduct the process for the position of Chair. Commissioner Ricci nominated Chair Jones as Chairperson. Vice Chair Susi called for any counter-nominations. Receiving none, upon motion made by Commissioner Ricci and duly seconded by Commissioner Rabideau, it was

VOTED: To elect Lauren E. Jones as Chairperson.

AYES: Michael Browner, Jr.; Christopher P. Callahan; Emma L. Peterson; Scott P. Rabideau; Hugo L. Ricci, Jr.; and Holly J. Susi.

ABSTENTIONS: Lauren E. Jones.

Chair Jones requested nominations for the position of Vice Chairperson. Commissioner Peterson nominated Vice Chair Susi. Chair Jones called for any counter-nominations. Receiving none, upon motion made by Commissioner Peterson and duly seconded by Commissioner Browner, it was

VOTED: To elect Holly J. Susi as Vice Chairperson.

AYES: Lauren E. Jones; Michael Browner, Jr.; Christopher P. Callahan; Emma L. Peterson; Scott P. Rabideau; and Hugo L. Ricci, Jr.

ABSTENTIONS: Holly J. Susi.

Chair Jones requested nominations for the position of Secretary. Commissioner Susi nominated Commissioner Peterson. In response to Commissioner Peterson, Executive Director Gramitt reviewed the duties involved. Chair Jones called for any counter-nominations. Receiving none, upon motion made by Commissioner Susi and duly seconded by Commissioner Browner, it was

VOTED: To elect Emma L. Peterson as Secretary.

AYES: Lauren E. Jones; Michael Browner, Jr.; Christopher P. Callahan; Scott P. Rabideau; Hugo L. Ricci, Jr.; and Holly J. Susi.

ABSTENTIONS: Emma L. Peterson.

The next order of business was:

New Business proposed for future Commission agendas and

general comments from the Commission.

Chair Jones noted Commissioner Cenerini’s absence today and expressed that his voice was missed.

At 10:10 a.m., upon motion made by Commissioner Ricci and duly seconded by Commissioner Browner, it was unanimously

VOTED: To adjourn the meeting.

Respectfully submitted,

___________________________

Emma L. Peterson

Secretary