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Rhode Island Panel Considers Disclosure Rules for Judicial Appointments
Confirmed
In Short: The Rhode Island Judicial Nominating Commission is set to consider a proposal that would require commissioners to disclose campaign contributions, expenditures, or other covered transfers made to support or oppose judicial applicants over the past 10 years.
The Rhode Island Judicial Nominating Commission is set to consider a proposal that would require commissioners to disclose campaign contributions, expenditures, or other covered transfers made to support or oppose judicial applicants over the past 10 years.
The proposal, put forward by Philip West Jr., the former executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island, comes after revelations that four commissioners had collectively donated more than $30,000 to Joseph Shekarchi’s campaign account.
Shekarchi, the current House Speaker, applied for a seat on the state Supreme Court while still serving in the General Assembly and with over $4.7 million in his campaign account.
John Marion, the current executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island, described West’s proposal as a straightforward way to address concerns from good government advocates and some lawmakers.
Marion noted that Shekarchi’s application brought the issue into sharper focus because he was still actively campaigning and had a substantial campaign fund.
The state’s Code of Ethics does not currently consider campaign contributions when determining conflicts of interest.
The commission is scheduled to discuss and vote on West’s petition after announcing which candidates they intend to interview for the vacant chief judge position at Rhode Island District Court.
What this adds
The Code of Ethics in Rhode Island does not currently address campaign contributions in conflict of interest determinations, highlighting a gap in current regulations.
Background
Rhode Island is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Island Sound; and shares a small maritime border with New York, east of Long Island.
What's confirmed
- The Rhode Island Judicial Nominating Commission is set to consider a proposal that would require commissioners to disclose campaign contributions, expenditures, or other covered transfers made to support or oppose judicial applicants over the past 10 years.
- The proposal, put forward by Philip West Jr., the former executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island, comes after revelations that four commissioners had collectively donated more than $30,000 to Joseph Shekarchi’s campaign account.
- Shekarchi, the current House Speaker, applied for a seat on the state Supreme Court while still serving in the General Assembly and with over $4.7 million in his campaign account.
- John Marion, the current executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island, described West’s proposal as a straightforward way to address concerns from good government advocates and some lawmakers.
- Marion noted that Shekarchi’s application brought the issue into sharper focus because he was still actively campaigning and had a substantial campaign fund.
- The state’s Code of Ethics does not currently consider campaign contributions when determining conflicts of interest.
- The commission is scheduled to discuss and vote on West’s petition after announcing which candidates they intend to interview for the vacant chief judge position at Rhode Island District Court.
What's still developing
- Search campaign expenditures to explore how candidates and political groups are spending donor money.
- “I believe our campaign finance system here in Rhode Island is pretty robust,” Thornton said.
- Zachary Mandell, chairman of the Rhode Island Judicial Nominating Commission, prepares to begin the panel’s meeting on Tuesday, July 28, 2026. (Photo by Christopher Shea/Rhode Island Current) The panel tasked with selecting Rhode Island’s judges on Tuesday will consider whether its members must disclose campaign contributions to judicial applicants and recuse themselves from considering those candidates.
- After seven commissioners voted to advance Shekarchi’s application along with four others, GoLocalProv reported that four of the seven commissioners who voted to advance his application, including the panel’s chairman, had collectively contributed more than $30,000 to Shekarchi’s campaign account since he first ran for office in 2012.
- “People who’ve been out of the legislature for a while were somewhat removed from politics, but in some instances still had campaign accounts,” Marion said.