StormX
Banned
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Rhode Island House Speaker Gordon Fox (D) is resigning from his leadership post and will not run for re-election, he said Saturday, a day after federal and state authorities raided his Statehouse office and home as part of a criminal investigation that they would not detail.
"Because of the respect I have for all members of the House of Representatives, I am resigning as Speaker," Fox said in a written statement emailed to reporters. "The process of governing must continue and the transition of leadership must be conducted in an orderly manner."
The 52-year-old Providence Democrat, who became the nation's first openly gay House speaker in 2010, said he planned to serve out the remainder of his term through the end of the year, but that "my personal focus going forward will be on my family and dealing with the investigation." It is unclear when Fox will officially resign, but the next scheduled meeting of the House is Tuesday.
Fox has represented Rhode Island's capital in the General Assembly for more than 20 years and is one of the state's most powerful politicians.
The Friday raids were carried out by the U.S. attorney's office, FBI, IRS and state police. Boxes of evidence were carried off after agents spent hours at both his home and office. Officials will not say whom or what they are investigating.
While questions remain about the nature of the investigation and Fox's role in it, his enduring legislative legacy is most likely to be legalizing gay marriage. In 2011, he abandoned a legalization push because of opposition in the Senate.
Fox in 2012 faced his toughest re-election campaign in years in part because of his support of a $75 million state loan guarantee for former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling's video game company, 38 Studios, which later went bankrupt. Earlier this year, he reached a settlement with the state ethics commission for failing to disclose more than $40,000 in legal work for a Providence economic development agency. Fox agreed to pay a $1,500 civil fine.
http://news.yahoo.com/rhode-island-speaker-step-down-fbi-raids-214600342--politics.html
Another corrupt democrat, I am shocked.
"Because of the respect I have for all members of the House of Representatives, I am resigning as Speaker," Fox said in a written statement emailed to reporters. "The process of governing must continue and the transition of leadership must be conducted in an orderly manner."
The 52-year-old Providence Democrat, who became the nation's first openly gay House speaker in 2010, said he planned to serve out the remainder of his term through the end of the year, but that "my personal focus going forward will be on my family and dealing with the investigation." It is unclear when Fox will officially resign, but the next scheduled meeting of the House is Tuesday.
Fox has represented Rhode Island's capital in the General Assembly for more than 20 years and is one of the state's most powerful politicians.
The Friday raids were carried out by the U.S. attorney's office, FBI, IRS and state police. Boxes of evidence were carried off after agents spent hours at both his home and office. Officials will not say whom or what they are investigating.
While questions remain about the nature of the investigation and Fox's role in it, his enduring legislative legacy is most likely to be legalizing gay marriage. In 2011, he abandoned a legalization push because of opposition in the Senate.
Fox in 2012 faced his toughest re-election campaign in years in part because of his support of a $75 million state loan guarantee for former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling's video game company, 38 Studios, which later went bankrupt. Earlier this year, he reached a settlement with the state ethics commission for failing to disclose more than $40,000 in legal work for a Providence economic development agency. Fox agreed to pay a $1,500 civil fine.
http://news.yahoo.com/rhode-island-speaker-step-down-fbi-raids-214600342--politics.html
Another corrupt democrat, I am shocked.