Home Economy Government McKee criticizes Neronha with close of ILO contract investigation

McKee criticizes Neronha with close of ILO contract investigation

Updated at 4:20 p.m. on Oct. 31.

By

Christopher Allen

-

10/31/2024

Screenshot — GOV. DANIEL J. MCKEE defended his actions regarding the 2021 contract awarded to a consulting firm formed by a political ally during his first few days in office. A more than three-year probe by the Attorney General and state police was closed Oct. 29 with no charges being filed./PBN SCREENSHOT

PROVIDENCE – Gov. Daniel J. McKee on Thursday defended his administration two days after Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced that no charges would be brought for efforts to award an education contract to a new consulting firm that was formed by a McKee political ally during his first few days in office. “There was

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PROVIDENCE – Gov. Daniel J. McKee on Thursday defended his administration two days after Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced that no charges would be brought for efforts to award an education contract to a new consulting firm that was formed by a McKee political ally during his first few days in office. "There was no case to pursue," said McKee, who insisted he was only being “aggressive in trying to connect Rhode Island students with the critical help they needed” during the pandemic. “Today, the cloud is gone,” he said. “The case is closed. And all the investigations came up empty.” McKee blasted Neronha for "spending millions of dollars to destroy my reputation" and making what he said were “unfounded and incorrect allegations," arguing the yearslong probe was “outside the scope" of Nerohna's office. The probe was launched in 2021 with R.I. State Police looking into McKee’s role in the awarding of the now-canceled $5.2 million contract to the ILO Group, a company that was formed by Julia Rafal-Baer, an associate of Michael Magee Jr., who had served on McKee’s transition team and helped fund charter schools in Cumberland. Two days after he took office in 2021, McKee's administration awarded the contract to ILO despite it being $4 million higher than a competing bid from WestEnd. McKee held a call with ILO a day after the company was incorporated and three days after he became governor. The report said McKee "intentionally" and against the findings of an independent review steered a federally funded state contract to a company formed by Magee’s close associate Rafal-Baer. Included in the report was an email sent by Rafal-Baer that seemingly indicated the RFP was "fixed" and that "luckily I know the person it’s fixed for [smiling winking emoji]." The probe, later joined by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI, focused on potential violations of bribery and campaign finance laws. Neronha wrote in his report that the evidence was “cloudy and contradictory,” concluding that a prosecution would likely be unsuccessful. McKee declined to be interviewed during the investigation, as did both his current and former chiefs of staff and Rafal-Baer. McKee said Neronha should have recused himself from the probe because he supported another candidate during the 2022 gubernatorial election, in reference to former candidate and CVS executive, Helena Foulkes. “This isn’t speculation,” said McKee, accusing Neronha of making “intensely political statements." "I don't trust the attorney general," he said. "He knew damn well he had a problem with me." (Correction: In an earlier version of this story, the first quote was inaccurate. Gov. Daniel J. McKee said, "There was no case to pursue.") Christopher Allen is a PBN staff writer. You may contact him at Allen@PBN.com.