The Traveling Lynchbury
The RIGOP this week filed an ethics complaint against Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch (D) for
violating the state’s $75 gift cap by accepting a roundtrip plane ticket worth $428.50 from the National Cable and Telecommunications Association
The genesis of this complaint – the impetus for the RIGOP to look more closely at the AG’s travel – is almost certainly Katherine Gregg’s eye-opening expose in the Providence Journal three months ago of the Attorney General’s penchant for out of state travel.
In the eighteen month period below, the Attorney General traveled out of state on average once a week per month. However, this figure is almost certainly on the low side as it includes only the travel that he was required by law to report for expense reasons. The Attorney General has declined to enumerate how many additional out of state trips he took for personal or campaign reasons.
Readers will note that many of the trips related to NAAG, of which the Attorney General was president during 2008/2009. When asked how all of this travel is justified, the Attorney General offered the following explanation on Wednesday’s Buddy Cianci Show on WPRO.
… what the attorneys general do is kind of get together and look as a lawyer for the state and a lot more at what they’ve been doing is to go out particularly starting with the [inaudible] get together and bring efforts on behalf of the states collectively to strengthen their efforts to get better results for their people
In view of the numerous, convenient methods of communication available, however, it is unclear why these joint efforts and sharing of information must so frequently (at least in the case of Rhode Island’s Attorney General) take place in person.
We are still left with the question, then: how has all of the Attorney General’s travel benefitted the pursuit of justice and the state of Rhode Island overall?
| Date | Location/Organization |
| May 11-14, 2009 | Philadelphia/NAAG Year of Child |
| May 7, 2009 | New York/Women’s E-News Gala |
| April 13-15, 2009 | Tenn & Miss/Nat AG Training & Research Institute |
| March 1-4, 2009 | Wash, DC/NAAG Spring Meeting |
| Feb 25-27, 2009 | Orlando, FL/2009 Sex Offender Regis & Managm Conf |
| Dec 18, 2008 | Wash, DC/NAAG |
| Dec 2 – 5, 2008 | Wash, DC/NAAG Winter Meeting |
| Nov 20-22, 2008 | Sarasota, FL/Nat Foundation for Women Legislators’ Annual Conf |
| Nov 6, 2008 | Wash, DC/American Bar Assoc |
| Oct 4-14, 2008 | Taiwan/NAAG |
| Sept 23-24, 2008 | Not Indicated-Seattle?/NAAG |
| Aug 19 –21, 2008 | Wash, DC/NAAG |
| Aug 2-7, 2008 | Seattle, WA/Conf of Western Attnys General |
| May 18-20, 2008 | New Orleans/Cable Show 2008 |
| May 7-9, 2008 | PA/Conf held by Pew Center & Nat Ctr For State Courts |
| March 2-5, 2008 | Wash, DC/NAAG |
| Jan 27-30, 2008 | Wash, DC/NAAG |
“In view of the numerous, convenient methods of communication available, however, it is unclear why these joint efforts and sharing of information must so frequently (at least in the case of Rhode Island’s Attorney General) take place in person.”
“Comunication” is a big word to be using with Lynch.
After reading AG Lynch’s explanation of NAAG from the Cianci show, it’s obvious that he hasn’t yet mastered the use of words, big or small. Given that, expecting him to have knowledge of numerous methods of communication seems unfair.
This man has been an embarassment from the day he was elected. Recall Lynch, having been elected the state’s top lawyer, quoting Spiderman. He was later surprised:(1) to learn there was such a thing as copyright law when he wanted to put “Spiderman’s” words on a plaque, and (2) that someone other than Spiderman had written the words.
Unfortunately, there is the real possibility that this nincompoop from RI’s family dynasty will want to be a judge someday.
Which is why the Board of Elections will do nothing about his violations. His brother Bill doesn’t even have to make a public fuss about it.
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— There's a fundraiser tonight for state Representative Grace Diaz (D-Providence) at the Roger Williams