Sparks fly over police costs, auditor

City GOP chair calls for Moretti's ouster

By Daniel Kittredge
Posted 5/25/16

Tensions have flared once again at City Hall over last year's controversial Rhode Island State Police assessment of the Cranston Police Department. Members of the City Council on Monday engaged in an at-times heated debate over

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Sparks fly over police costs, auditor

City GOP chair calls for Moretti's ouster

Posted

Tensions have flared once again at City Hall over last year’s controversial Rhode Island State Police assessment of the Cranston Police Department.

Members of the City Council on Monday engaged in an at-times heated debate over Internal Auditor Anthony Moretti’s running tally of the costs associated with personnel and legal matters outlined in the state police report.

His latest estimate ranges between roughly $4.4 million and more than $9 million, depending on whether the calculation includes costs state police say they incurred and the full settlement demands in a pair of ongoing legal cases.

The chairman of the Cranston Republican City Committee, meanwhile, has called for Moretti to step down or be fired, citing the auditor’s support for likely Democratic mayoral candidate Michael Sepe. Moretti and Council President John Lanni, a Democrat, have pushed back, defending the auditor’s work and motivations.

Moretti has found himself at the center of a politically charged debate in recent months after his completion, at Lanni’s request, of a 20-page report on the costs associated with matters outlined in the state police assessment. The 182-page assessment is sharply critical of Mayor Allan Fung – who is seeking re-election – and former members of the Cranston department’s command staff.

Lima’s statement points to Moretti’s “public political support for the candidacy of Mike Sepe for mayor,” and what he calls Moretti’s “abuse of the auditor position.” It specifically cites Moretti’s presence at a recent Sepe fundraiser, and a donation he made to the Sepe campaign.

Lima calls the figures in Moretti’s report “wildly speculative” and says the auditor’s work includes “factually inaccurate financial information concerning Cranston Police Department personnel matters.”

“It is clear his report is nothing more than an outrageous witch hunt against Mayor Allan Fung perpetrated for the benefit of Sepe’s campaign,” the statement reads. “Obviously, Mr. Moretti is not independent, and his political shenanigans have nothing to do with the role of an auditor.”

The statement describes Moretti’s position as “nothing more than a political patronage job,” which is “being exploited by Council President Lanni and his close friend Mike Sepe.”

“Moretti should be removed as independent auditor, and Lanni must apologize to Cranston taxpayers for wasting their money on his endless political games,” Lima states.

Moretti on Tuesday issued a lengthy statement, saying Lima’s comments are “senseless, illogical and are shamefully politically motivated.”

“I was appointed by the entire Cranston City Council and have objectively reported the facts to all members of the Cranston City Council of all parties. I have consistently, accurately and faithfully executed my responsibilities,” Moretti’s statement reads.

It continues: “Immediately upon the release of my report and without cessation, Mayor Fung and other Republican loyalists have made statements to malign my professionalism and recklessly criticize the facts contained in my report. I have absorbed those outrageous statements and have not responded similarly. Now an arm of the Mayor’s political organization is irresponsibly attacking me. Shame on them for not accepting the facts resulting from the Administration’s reported mismanagement and abuse of some of the officers of [the] Cranston Police Department. Certainly millions of taxpayer dollars have been wasted but the core issue is the human cost as to how the lives of innocent police officers and their families have been maliciously devastated.”

Lanni on Tuesday dismissed Lima’s call for Moretti to step aside. He said the auditor had been appointed to the post on a unanimous, bipartisan vote of the council, and called the Republican criticism “more propaganda, because Moretti’s doing his job and they don’t like it.”

Lanni also pushed back against Lima’s argument on Moretti’s political involvement.

“If that’s the case, then every city solicitor, every department head [who donates to or supports a campaign] … should be fired also,” he said.

Moretti echoed that point in his statement. He noted that he previously ran for a council seat as a Republican – losing to Sepe – and appeared at an event in support of Fung’s 2014 bid for governor.

“Given the logic of Mr. Lima’s assertions that I should resign or be terminated from my position, he is suggesting that all municipal employees that contribute their time or money to any local candidate should also resign or be terminated,” Moretti’s statement reads. “That would include, but not be limited to, all solicitors, judges and financial professionals. If that is the case, nearly all mayoral and city council appointees would be removed from their positions. That is ludicrous.”

An update from Moretti on his report has appeared regularly on the council’s monthly agenda in recent months, drawing little discussion on most prior occasions.

The politically pitched back-and-forth that erupted at the time of its February release, however, re-emerged more fully at Monday’s gathering. Several of the points raised at that time – whether pension figures and the state police costs should be included in Moretti’s total, for example – were argued again.

Citywide Councilman Michael Farina, who in late March switched his party affiliation from Democratic to Republican, criticized what he called “Moretti math.” The auditor responded by calling his work “honest math.”

Farina said he acknowledges there were mistakes made in the handling of the police department, and costs that could have been avoided. But he reiterated his criticism of Moretti’s totals – putting the likely figure at closer to $2 million – and questioned the “monotonous” debate over the matter.

“I don’t know why we just continue to go over the same things over and over,” added Republican Ward 6 Councilman Michael Favicchio.

“Why is this still on the docket?” Republican Ward 2 Councilman Donald Botts said. “I think it’s beating a dead horse. My constituents are sick of it. They want to move on.”

Lanni pushed back, and defended Moretti’s ongoing work. He also called Finance Director Robert Strom’s assertion that the costs associated with the police report total just under $1 million “kind of unbelievable.”

“People want to know. They want to know what’s going on,” he said.

Lanni also reiterated his granting of authority to Moretti to request whatever information may be needed to continue the work.

“I don’t want any delays on this. It’s too important,” he said.

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