PROVIDENCE – Former state administration director James E. Thorsen has been cleared of all ethics violations stemming from a March 2023 work trip to Philadelphia, the R.I. Ethics Commission confirmed Wednesday.
Thorsen, who had faced up to $52,000 in potential fines for three alleged violations, was accused of improperly accepting a $133-per-person lunch from Scout Ltd., a development firm seeking a $55 million contract with the state to redevelop the Cranston Street Armory in Providence.
The Ethics Commission said in an email that after hearing closing arguments and deliberating, it voted that Thorsen had not committed any “knowing and willful violations” of the state Code of Ethics, and the complaint has been dismissed.
In a hearing last month, Thorsen had testified that he did not see his counterpart, David Patten – the former state properties director who resigned in 2023 and later paid a $5,000 fine – make any inappropriate comments or take free items from vendors.
He also said Patten had told him the lunch would be “on him,” and Thorsen only learned later that no payment had been made before sending a cashier’s check to cover the bill.
The March 2023 Philadelphia trip, which was part of a state review of Scout’s redevelopment work, drew scrutiny in part because of Patten’s behavior, including alleged inappropriate remarks and unusual demands for food and other items.
Thorsen maintained throughout that he acted appropriately and did not knowingly violate ethics rules.
The Commission’s decision formally closes the case against Thorsen, allowing him to contest the allegations without facing fines or further sanctions.
Matthew McNulty is a PBN staff writer. He can be reached at McNulty@PBN.com or on X at @MattMcNultyNYC.