Rosegalie Cineus is a journalist with the Cranston Herald who’s been covering the story. She spoke with our reporter Isabella Jibilian.
Interview highlights:
What led up to the resignations?
Rosegalie Cineus: We had been hearing rumors of an alleged relationship between Marino and Angell for a few weeks now, but it all came to a head when Council minority leader Richard Campopiano issued a press release where he raised concerns about the ongoing alleged relationship and the conflicts of interest around that. Also, a set of special council meetings on August 20th discussed Angell’s contract and particularly examined a fee structure related to his invoices and how they were sent to the city.
What did Jessica Marino and Stephen Angell say about their resignations?
Cineus: It’s important to note that both Marino and Angell made no public statements about the alleged relationship between them, and they also said they had done nothing wrong. Marino and Angell both blamed the Hopkins administration for a lot of the controversy that has been following the situation for the past week or so. Marino also said that she wanted to return to her private life to address personal and private matters outside of the public eye.
What happens next with the empty seat on the council?
Cineus: As we understand it, there will be no special election regarding Marino’s empty citywide seat. The council will follow an appointment process to fill that seat with a candidate from the same political party as the exiting member, in this case, the Democratic Party.
