WBOB Original Reads

RI Treasurer Race: Magaziner Camp Decries Almonte's Lies

10/20/2014

Ernie Almonte has resorted to hurling false attacks at Seth Magaziner in a desperate attempt to distract voters from Almonte’s own horrendous record as a career political appointee and State House insider. Almonte’s recent attack ad contains a number lies about Seth, and a big lie about Almonte himself.

“Almonte has tried to make integrity a major part of his campaign, yet he has consistently demonstrated a willingness to abandon his convictions for political convienance,” said Magaziner campaign manager, Evan England. “Almonte is lying about Seth in a desperate attempt to distract from his own failed record and his failing campaign.”

LIE: Almonte says Seth Magaziner has “plans to spend billions more of your money." In truth, Magaziner has never suggested or proposed spending anything close to billions on any project or program and Almonte offers no citation for his claim.

LIE: Almonte says Magaziner doesn't have a plan to protect employee pensions. The truth is that Seth Magaziner has been discussing his plans to address employee pensions throughout his campaign. Seth’s Blueprint for Rhode Island contains an entire section on retirement stability and security, and outlines how Seth will manage the pension system.

LIE: Almonte calls Magaziner a “partisan politician.” This is Seth Magaziner’s first run for office. Unlike Almonte, Seth has been consistent about his convictions of office and party. Recent public polling shows Magaziner with broad support, including leading among Independents and with more support from Republicans than Almonte has from Democrats.

A BIG LIE ABOUT ALMONTE HIMSELF

Almonte claims he will “save tax dollars.” But as the General Assembly’s handpicked auditor for 16 years, Almonte showed a pattern of ballooning spending and failure to protect the public from waste, fraud and abuse.

Almonte’s own taxpayer-funded salary grew 136% to a whopping $196,000;
Almonte’s office spending more than doubled under his management;
Despite being one of the highest paid political appointees in the state, Almonte drove a state owned take-home car, which he traded up every few years;
Almonte failed to prevent countless instances of waste, fraud and abuse like at the Johnston landfill and the URI Sports Institute, costing taxpayers millions. (See PDF factsheet for additional information)

Ernie Almonte has made his experience as Auditor General and his goal of saving tax dollars central points of his campaign for General Treasurer. The fact is that Almonte was supposed to be watching out for taxpayers in Rhode Island. Instead, Rhode Island saw scandals and mismanagement that cost taxpayers millions."Almonte thinks he can trick voters by lying to them," said Evan England. "Rhode Islanders are smarter than this and will see through his insider politics and dirty political tricks."