Home Economy Government Ethics Commission votes to investigate complaint on Shekarchi’s judicial bid

Ethics Commission votes to investigate complaint on Shekarchi’s judicial bid

By

Matthew McNulty

-

06/02/2026

K. Joseph Shekarchi — THE R.I. ETHICS COMMISSION voted 6-1 on Tuesday to investigate a complaint against former House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi over his bid for a seat on the R.I. Supreme Court. / AP FILE PHOTO/STEVEN SENNE

PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Ethics Commission voted on Tuesday to investigate a complaint alleging that former House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi violated the state’s revolving-door restrictions by applying for a seat on the R.I. Supreme Court while still serving in the General Assembly. The commission voted 6-1, with one recusal and one member absent, to

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PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Ethics Commission voted on Tuesday to investigate a complaint alleging that former House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi violated the state's revolving-door restrictions by applying for a seat on the R.I. Supreme Court while still serving in the General Assembly. The commission voted 6-1, with one recusal and one member absent, to open an investigation into the complaint, according to Jason Gramitt, commission executive director and chief prosecutor. Shekarchi, who did not attend Tuesday’s Ethics Commission meeting, said in an email to the Rhode Island Current that he would not comment until the Ethics Commission completes its review of the complaint. The complaint was filed by Michael J. Yelnosky, a professor and the former dean of the Roger Williams University School of Law. Yelnosky argues that Shekarchi's application for the high court seat conflicts with ethics rules barring elected state officials from seeking or accepting employment with another state agency while in office and for one year after leaving office. Shekarchi stepped down as House speaker on May 7 but retained his Warwick House seat while pursuing the judicial appointment created by the retirement of R.I. Supreme Court Justice Maureen McKenna Goldberg in March. The former speaker has argued that the issue was effectively settled in 2020, when the Ethics Commission rejected advice from its legal staff to uphold the revolving-door provision, which would have barred then-Sen. Erin Lynch Prata from seeking an R.I. Supreme Court appointment. However, Lynch Prata was allowed to pursue a vacancy on the court, was later nominated for the position by then-Gov. Gina M. Raimondo, was confirmed and now serves as a justice on the court. The state's Judicial Nominating Commission is scheduled to interview all five applicants, including Shekarchi, for the R.I. Supreme Court vacancy on July 28. Matthew McNulty is a PBN staff writer. He can be reached at McNulty@PBN.com or on X at @MattMcNultyNYC.