Rhode Island House Speaker Gordon Fox resigned his speakership on Monday after RI State Police, FBI, and IRS investigators raided his office and home. Fox plans to serve out the remainder of his term and will not seek reelection. Many consider the office of speaker the most powerful position in RI state government, beyond even the governor, so Fox’s downfall is dramatic and significant.
Fox is an interesting character. Born in Providence, he’s the state’s first openly gay and black (his parents are Irish and Cape Verdean) speaker. He spearheaded the passage of gay marriage in RI but is generally seen as a political conservative Democrat (in a state where being a Democrat says less about your political philosophy and more about your desire to be in the majority). He’s had run-ins with the state Ethics Commission as a lawyer and politician, and has been criticized for his role in the failure of 38 Studios.
We’re still not sure why law enforcement raided Fox’s office and home (the presence of the IRS suggests tax issues), but this event has some interesting lessons about RI politics.
Exit, Quickly. Fox was surprisingly quick to resign, especially given that politicians have been able to survive some pretty formidable scandals. It might be tempting to say that numerous and embarrassing political scandals have caused Rhode Island voters to have a zero tolerance policy for corruption, but beloved convicted-felon Buddy Cianci’s likely return as a Providence mayoral candidate seems to disprove this hypothesis. Presumably, the case against Fox is formidable and damaging, and he’s chosen to avoid the fight it would take to retain his office. Or it could be that he sees a career in the private sector as more attractive and lucrative, perhaps by following in the footsteps of previous speaker William Murphy and becoming a lobbyist.
The RI Parliament? There are only six Republicans in Rhode Island’s 75-member House of Representatives. Normally marginalized, these Republicans might play a key role in electing the next speaker. With only a majority of 38 needed to elect a speaker, those six votes become more important. It appears likely that House Majority Leader Nicholas Mattiello will be the next speaker, and he has the support of some Republicans, based on the fact that “He’s not one of the progressive Democrats.” The House is functioning like a parliamentary system, which relies on coalitions of different parties to form majority governments. Just as a small, niche party can be vital in a parliament to help a larger party achieve a slim majority, so too might the Republicans cast the deciding votes on (arguably) the most powerful office in Rhode Island.
A Scandal Without Change. Even with this scandal, it appears unlikely that there will be an era of reform or new policies. Mattiello, the likely next speaker, has already been pegged as Fox’s replacement. Fox succeeded William Murphy, who himself succeeded John Harwood, in a fairly orderly transition of power. All three men had the same chief of staff, Frank Anzeveno, who resigned Monday. Scott MacKay at RI Public Radio praises Fox as a consensus builder who got things done. But I can’t help but wonder if a shakeup in leadership might do this lethargic state some good. This is challenging in a state firmly as one-party as RI, but the voters still have the final say.
Great article dude. But is your title a ‘What does the Fox say’ reference?