Sen. Frank Ciccone, D-Providence and North Providence, stepped down as chairman of the Senate Committee on Government Oversight and from the Senate Finance Committee yesterday afternoon. His resignation followed a confrontation with Barrington police last week when Senate Majority Leader Dominick Ruggerio, D-Providence and North Providence, was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. At the time of the arrest, Ciccone - who had been driving in a separate vehicle - approached police officers while they were testing Ruggerio for sobriety at a traffic stop and threatened the officers.
"You think you got pension problems now, wait 'til this (expletive) is all done," Ciccone said, according to a police report. Ciccone was referring to the ongoing pension problems in the state, which has left many police officers working in municipalities with dangerously underfunded pension systems.
Ciccone said earlier this week in a press release that he does not "agree with the accuracy of some of the details in the police report." He chose to step down from his positions after meeting with Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed, D-Jamestown and Newport, following the incident.
"After a brief discussion we agreed that the institution of the Senate is larger than any one individual," Paiva Weed said in a statement.
The drunk driving charge against Ruggerio was dropped yesterday after he admitted to the court that he refused a chemical test to determine his blood alcohol level at the time of the arrest. Instead, Ruggerio's license was suspended for six months.
"I accept full responsibility for my actions last week," Ruggerio said in a statement released today.
Paiva Weed said in a press release immediately following the incident that she was "confident" this situation would not "distract him from his duties and that he will continue to be an effective leader in the state Senate."
"It is my desire to put these events behind us and focus on the work that needs to be done to move Rhode Island forward," she added.
Ruggerio is up for re-election in November.
- Sona Mkrttchian
