Rep. Cicilline breaks silence on growing scandal at ProCAP
November 16th, 2011 at 10:00 pm by Ted Nesi under Nesi's Notes
Congressman David Cicilline on Wednesday night offered his first public comments about what he called the “serious” allegations of financial mismanagement at the Providence Community Action Program.
“Those responsible for operating this agency are expected to be responsible stewards of these public funds and must be fully accountable,” Cicilline told WPRI.com in a statement. ProCAP’s board has “the responsibility to provide proper oversight to this organization, and the full review of the agency’s operations by them is clearly warranted,” he said.
On Tuesday, Providence Mayor Angel Taveras fired three members of the ProCAP board who were appointed by Cicilline – City Council Deputy Majority Leader Nicholas Narducci, Joseph Caffey Jr. and Raymond DeTorre Jr. – after they refused to terminate Frank Corbishley, its executive director of 20 years, over alleged management failures.
Cicilline’s statement arrived shortly after the campaigns of his two Republican opponents in next year’s congressional election weighed in on the scandal. Former State Police Col. Brendan Doherty didn’t mention Cicilline directly but said ProCAP and other scandals “have destroyed public trust in Congress and in our entire government.”
Former State Rep. John Loughlin is still overseas serving in Iraq, but his spokesman Mike Napolitano criticized the former mayor for refusing to answer reporter’s questions about ProCAP when the news broke Tuesday. Cicilline is in Washington and took part in a House floor debate on Wednesday.
“Once again Congressman Cicilline dodges questions that have anything to do with the nightmare he left behind in the city of Providence,” Napolitano told WPRI.com. ”I think this speaks directly to his character and he can not be trusted by the voters.”
Cicilline did not join Taveras and Providence City Council President Michael Solomon, who chairs ProCAP’s board, in asking Corbishley to resign. But he noted that ProCAP is a taxpayer-funded agency, with 96% of its $16.4 million in revenue coming from government grants in 2009-10, according to IRS filings.
“This agency has the responsibility to provide assistance to some of the most vulnerable members of our community, and relies upon government funding to do much of this work,” Cicilline said.
More coverage of the Providence Community Action Program scandal on WPRI.com:
- Mayor Taveras sacks Narducci, two more at ProCAP (Nov. 15)
- Emergency meeting will review ProCAP’s ‘troubling’ finances (Nov. 9)
- Nonprofit tied to Providence’s leaders probed (Oct. 24)
Tags: 1st Congressional District, angel taveras, brendan doherty, congress, david cicilline, democrats, john loughlin, politics, ProCAP, providence, providence community action program, providence financial crisis, republicans, u.s. house
Nesi's Notes covers politics and the economy in and around Rhode Island for WPRI.com. (Twitter: 
The Democrats are going to start dropping dimes on each other once the pension vote is over. There are going to be many in the leadership postitions going to jail. I want to know when are they going nail Patrick Lynch and his buddies. Talking about buddies, when is Buddy going to be investigated again for other crimes he was never charged with? There were many corrupt deals done on his watch. Little David will get his free trip to club fed. Too bad he won’t get put in with the general population. That is what he would want. Too many of clients that got off would not be able to protect him.
Oh, please! Rhode Island shows how DUMB they all are by making BUDDY a bloody tv and radio star! He’s a theif and untrusting. RI seems to embrace poeple that are criminals, crooked and filled with filth (Robert Hatch, Paulie D and Sissylini come mind!)
Rhode Island and it’s people are sinking like quicksand!
ANYONE who would believe ANYTHING Cicillini says about ANYTHING is a moron based upon how he ran the city…..he probably doesn’t even know where ProCAP is! While he was mayor ProCAP helped tens of thousands in need without him!
In this situation, it was a Crook who hire Crooks at Procap.
What a shame..and a sham…
People call him Sissalini for a reason! He is a liar like his brother and he should be thrown out of every political seat. He is no better than presidents of the unions. Doherty should be the one to put the cuffs on that little weasle! Sissalini does not care about anyone but himself. Hang all the corrupt workers that took an oath to serve and protect us, not steal and harm the weak in our state. This state has fallen down the toilet and now it is clogged, backed up on the taxpayer. It is because of people like Davey-boy and his friends! We must let them all know the party is over! Why are these people not in jail? It will be years and lots of favors and nothing will happen to these liars and theives! I am just so happy it is coming to light and we might have a fighting chance to stop these dirty scoundrels.
Right on the money about Sissylini!
[...] Related: Rep. Cicilline breaks silence on growing scandal at ProCAP (Nov. 16) Tags: [...]
I can’t wait for the individual who pointed out everything about Cicilline during the last election to return from Iraq too take him on! That man is John Loughlin.
Cicilline’s artful “answers” to the media are not enough. I want to see him take the stand in criminal court and let him try and weasel his way out there!
This guy has to go.
Sissylini belongs in jail.
[...] Rep. Cicilline breaks silence on growing scandal at ProCAP (Nov. 16) [...]
Kerbel-Kerbel-Kerbel
Corbishley Financial Group???????
Let Sissylini, Kerbel, Soloman, and the Board come up with the money
PERSONALLY…….
[...] this month, Cicilline described the allegations about ProCAP “serious” but declined to call for the resignation of Frank Corbishley, who served as the agency’s [...]