Gov. Dan McKee on Tuesday defended his role in keeping the forensic audit of the Washington Bridge private for more than a year.
In an interview with Ocean State Media’s Ian Donnis, McKee said he was listening to advice of the attorneys representing the state in its lawsuit against 13 companies involved in upkeep of the bridge — first private attorneys and then lawyers from the state Attorney General’s office.
The lawyers “made it very clear that they did not want that report made public, because it could impact the integrity of the case that they’re building,” McKee said.
Though in the early months of the bridge investigation, the governor said that he would make the audit public, the legal team was adamant, according to McKee.
“It was, ‘Don’t do it because it could impact our case,’” he said.
The state hired engineering firm Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates Inc. to conduct a detailed audit of documentation about the bridge in order to learn more about why it failed. One of its conclusions: the people responsible for the bridge’s upkeep, including Rhode Island officials, should have been aware of the problems that eventually led to the bridge’s abrupt closure in December 2023.
The report is dated April 5, 2024, but only released publicly by state Attorney General Peter Neronha’s office on Friday. Neronha’s office said it released the report, which is marked as a draft, because media and social media outlets — including the Facebook account What’s Going On Rhode Island — published parts of it. The contents of the analysis were first reported by WPRI.
Calls for more oversight
McKee’s pushback comes on the heels of widespread criticism for not releasing the audit.
Rhode Island’s legislative leaders on Monday called for another oversight hearing to question state officials about the root of the bridge’s problems. In a joint statement, House Speaker Joe Shekarchi and Senate President Val Lawson said they were “deeply troubled by the findings in the forensic audit.”
“The General Assembly intends to conduct an additional rigorous oversight hearing, where all options remain on the table, such as putting state officials, including Director Alviti, under oath,” the legislative leaders said in the statement. “Prior to the next oversight hearing, we will consult with the Office of the Attorney General. In addition to more public transparency, Rhode Islanders deserve a safe, reliable, and operational Washington Bridge as soon as possible.”
The General Assembly reconvenes in January, though leaders could schedule a hearing before then.
Republicans at the statehouse also called for more information about what the state has done since it received the audit.
“The Governor vowed to hold those responsible accountable, but instead of keeping that promise, he concealed the findings of this audit from both the legislature and the public,” State Senate Minority Leader Jessica de la Cruz said in a statement. “The cover-up is as bad as the crime.”
McKee has pointed to the state’s lawsuit as the best way to hold people responsible for the bridge’s failure.
After questions from reporters at an unrelated press conference on Tuesday, Neronha defended McKee’s decision to withhold public release of the report.
“The best chance for us to recover money from experts, who we allege did not guide the state properly on the repair and construction of this bridge, is to try that case — not in the newspaper, admittedly, or on What’s Up Rhode Island,” Neronha said. “It is to try it in the courthouse down the street, and that’s what we’re going to do.”
Ocean State Media’s Ben Berke contributed to this story.
