Ex-Rhode Island Candidates Fined $2.2M for Late Reports

Nearly 300 ex-candidates and political action committees collectively owe the Rhode Island $2.2 million in fines for not filing campaign finance reports on time.

The Associated Press examined a newly released Rhode Island Board of Elections report on outstanding fines. Former state senators Patrick McDonald and John Celona head the list of offenders, and current Providence City Council president Luis Aponte rounds out the top 10.

McDonald, who is in jail for embezzlement, owes $213,000. His lawyer didn't comment.

Celona owes nearly $176,000. He was sentenced in 2007 in a corruption case and has been released. He didn't respond to a request for comment.

Aponte, the city council president, owes about $48,000.

The election board's campaign finance director says a "significant amount" of the fines have been deemed uncollectable. 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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