Gina Raimondo is still refusing to donate to charity or refund political contributions tied to the Thornton law firm, which has been under federal investigation for possible illegal campaign donations to numerous Democrat candidates. Over the weekend, WPRI-TV asked Raimondo about these donations, but her spokesperson gave the exact same response that she gave in March when Raimondo first came under fire for the donations. She commented that her campaign “will assess whether further action is needed pending the conclusion of the legal process,” indicating that Raimondo has no intention of donating or refunding the money.
Raimondo has made it clear that she isn’t willing to hold herself to the same standard as numerous major Democratic candidates on the ballot in 2016 who took donations tied to Thornton, including her party’s presidential nominee, Hillary Clinton, and well as statewide candidates in New Hampshire, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Nevada, all of whom chose to either return or donate the money they received that was linked to Thornton. But Raimondo’s behavior is even more puzzling considering her past issues with questionable donations. In March, Raimondo agreed to donate $2,000 in contributions from Patrick Churchville, who was implicated in a $21 million Ponzi scheme, yet she still continues to hold on to the money she received from Thornton lawyers.
Why is Raimondo willing to donate contributions from Patrick Churchville but not from Thornton attorneys? If she isn’t comfortable taking money from individuals tied to potentially illegal activity, why won’t she follow the example of Hillary Clinton and others in her party by donating all of the money she received from the Thornton lawyers? Raimondo should stop stonewalling and give the people of Rhode Island an explanation for her repeated refusal to do the right thing.
