Three RI unions drop $18,000 on primary races for GA, towns
September 6th, 2012 at 3:14 pm by Ted Nesi under Nesi's Notes, On the Main Site
Working Families’ anti-Fogarty mailer
Outside groups continue to ramp up their spending with just days to go before next Tuesday’s primary elections for the General Assembly and other offices.
The Rhode Island AFL-CIO and the state’s two teachers unions – the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers – disclosed Thursday that they spent $18,000 this week under the banner of the “Working Families Coalition” in a push to swing more than a dozen elections around the state.
NEARI contributed $10,000, the AFT contributed $5,000 and the AFL-CIO contributed $3,000. The entire $18,000 was spent with All the Answers Inc., a Warwick-based firm whose president is Paul Sasso.
The unions said they’re spending money to support the following candidates: Ray Hull, Spencer Dickinson, Lauri Archambault, Rene Menard, Mike Morin, Steve Casey, William O’Brien, Joseph Faria, William San Bento, Charles Tsonos, Gregg Amore, John Hanley, Gayle Goldin, Paul Jabour, Adam Satchell, Lewis Pryeor, Nicole Acciardo, Michael McCaffrey, David Gorman, Terrence Mercer, Ray Spooner, Alan Tenreiro, Michael Araujo, Nicole Nordquist, Sandra Cano and Jay Charbonneau.
They said they’re also spending money to defeat a small group of legislative incumbents and challengers: Kathleen Fogarty, Mia Ackerman, Lisa Baldelli-Hunt, Jon Brien, Michael Pinga, Marc Cote and Lou Raptakis.
• Related: Colo. gay-marriage backer Gill, Bloomberg spend on GA races (Sept. 5)
(photo: @JonPincince, via Twitter)
Tags: afl-cio, american federation of teachers, campaign 2012, general assembly, neari, organized labor, unions, working families coalition
Nesi's Notes covers politics and the economy in and around Rhode Island for WPRI.com. (Twitter: 
The funny part is – in my district, Lauri Archambault (named in the article) is sending out flyers that says she’s “running a grass roots campaign”… I didn’t realize that getting 90% of you funding from labor unions was “grass roots”… desperate people will lie and cheat the whole way….
These groups are active in West Warwick. In addition to supporting Adam Satchell who is running in a primary against incumbent Mike Pinga, these special interest groups are also involved in at least one of the five town council races and in both of the two school committee races. The assistance goes beyond donations of funds and they also have at least one union connected “journalist” helping to promote their campaigns.
Ted, Did you notice that according to Planned Parenthood Votes!Rhode Island latest CFR filed today,http://www.ricampaignfinance.com/ReportsScanned/Public-INDEPENDENT%20EXPENDITURES-d4cb2b9a-931f-4976-89d5-86a1bb2fa3c5.pdf )received a $15,000 donation from Tim Gill on 31 August? The address of Mr Gill is listed as 111 Point Street. That said, doesn’t he live in Denver!
Is this a violation of RI Law?
By the way, can anyone find a CFR report filed for Working Families Coalition? And who owns U.S. Postage permit 1899?
PROVIDENCE, RI
PERMIT #1899 25 Maple Street
Pawtucket, RI 02860
401.725.5600 • 800.343.3375
http://www.nbic.com
Narragansett Bay Insurance Co.