Home · Politics · Oct 17 archive
Rhode Island Panel Considers Disclosure Rules for Judicial Appointments
Confirmed
In Short: John Marion, Common Cause Rhode Island’s executive director, called West’s proposal a straightforward way to address concerns from good government advocates and some lawmakers about former General Assembly members seeking judicial appointments.
The Rhode Island Judicial Nominating Commission is set to discuss a proposal that would require commissioners to disclose campaign contributions related to judicial applicants. The proposal, put forward by Philip West Jr., the former executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island, aims to address concerns about conflicts of interest.
Zachary Mandell, chairman of the Rhode Island Judicial Nominating Commission, will chair the panel's meeting on Tuesday, July 28, 2026. The panel will consider whether its members must disclose campaign contributions to judicial applicants and recuse themselves from considering those candidates.
The proposal would require commissioners to disclose campaign contributions, expenditures, or other covered transfers made to support or oppose a judicial applicant during the previous 10 years. This comes after revelations that four commissioners had collectively contributed more than $30,000 to former House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi’s campaign account since he first ran for office in 2012.
John Marion, Common Cause Rhode Island’s executive director, called West’s proposal a straightforward way to address concerns from good government advocates and some lawmakers about former General Assembly members seeking judicial appointments. Marion noted that Shekarchi’s application brought the issue into sharper focus because he was still actively campaigning and had a substantial campaign fund.
Marion stated, “People who’ve been out of the legislature for a while were somewhat removed from politics, but in some instances still had campaign accounts.” He added that Shekarchi’s application, which had over $4.7 million in his campaign account, brought the issue to the forefront.
West emphasized the need for clearer standards for the all-volunteer commission tasked with recommending who gets to fill a judicial vacancy. He said, “Any contributions at all, I think should be disclosed.” West noted that the current Code of Ethics does not consider campaign contributions when determining whether a conflict of interest exists, highlighting a gap in current regulations.
The panel 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, a seat left open by Judge Jeanne LaFazia’s retirement in June.
Zachary Thornton, a campaign finance official, stated, “I believe our campaign finance system here in Rhode Island is pretty robust.” He added, “We work very hard to make sure that candidates, committees, and political action committees are compliant with the campaign finance laws, rules, and 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
- 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.
- John Marion, Common Cause Rhode Island’s current executive director, called West’s proposal a straightforward way to address concerns from good government advocates and some lawmakers about former General Assembly members seeking judicial appointments.
- Marion said Shekarchi’s application brought the issue into sharper focus because he was still serving in the General Assembly and still has an active campaign account with over $4.7 million in the bank.
- 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.
- Philip West Jr., the former executive director of Common Cause Rhode Island, after revelations that four commissioners had donated to former House Speaker K.
- Joseph Shekarchi’s campaign account months before he applied for a seat on the state Supreme Court.
- West’s proposal would require commissioners to disclose campaign contributions, expenditures or other covered transfers made to support or oppose a judicial applicant during the previous 10 years.
- Commissioners are 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, a seat left open by Judge Jeanne LaFazia’s retirement in June.
- The state’s Code of Ethics does not consider campaign contributions when determining whether a conflict of interest exists.
What's still developing
- Search campaign expenditures to explore how candidates and political groups are spending donor money.
- Follow the money to state legislators in all 50 states.
- Donate to OpenSecrets to help strengthen our democracy If every user donated $1 we could sustain our work forever.
- Discover the industries and organizations that donated to judicial officeholders in the 38 states that elect judges.
- Will you be one of the.03% of OpenSecrets visitors who donate to help sustain our work?
- Lawmakers this year considered legislation that would have required the Judicial Nominating Commission to conduct a “blind review” of applications before interviews or public hearings.
- 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.
- Rhode Island is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States.