John Loughlin for Lt. Governor: Statement on Transparency, Accountability & Delivering a Real Inspector General for Rhode Island
Statement From The John Loughlin for Lt Governor Campaign:
This afternoon, Republican John Loughlin responded to Democrat Xay Khamsyoravong’s partisan attack on his common-sense plan to finally give Rhode Island an Inspector General by using the Lieutenant Governor’s existing budget to hire a professional Inspector General and necessary staff.
Rhode Islanders deserve real accountability — not politicians defending the empty rhetoric of a General Assembly that has failed them for decades. Despite bipartisan legislation introduced repeatedly since at least 2002 — including multiple bills from both Democrats and Republicans in recent sessions — the Democrat-controlled legislature has yet to delivered an independent Office of the Inspector General. Year after year, bills are filed, hearings are held, and nothing happens. That is not leadership; that is decades of deliberate inaction. I guess Mr. Khamsyoravong would like to continue this “tradition.”
What little accountability infrastructure exists today is already “politicized,” to use Mr. Khamsyoravong’s term, and serves at the pleasure of elected officials. The Auditor General is appointed by — and can be removed at any time by — the Joint Committee on Legislative Services, a body chaired by the House Speaker and dominated by legislative leaders.
The Office of Internal Audit and Program Integrity sits squarely inside the executive branch under the Governor. These offices answer to the very politicians they are supposed to oversee.
The Inspector General I am proposing would report directly and independently to the people of Rhode Island through transparent public reporting, regular public updates and full investigative autonomy — free from day-to-day control by the Lieutenant Governor’s office.
The dotted line to the Lieutenant Governor reflects only a limited administrative and budgetary relationship: the IG would utilize the existing Lt. Gov. office budget and resources for hiring, payroll, and basic support services, without compromising independence.
This structure deliberately avoids a solid-line command relationship, ensuring the IG cannot be directed, delayed, or influenced in audits, investigations, or findings. It mirrors proven federal models where Inspectors General maintain dual accountability (to the executive for operations and to legislative bodies/public for results) while preserving the objectivity essential for credible oversight. This design delivers real independence without creating a new, costly bureaucracy.
My proposal uses the Lieutenant Governor’s existing resources to bring in independent investigators and auditors who will answer to the people — not to the same insiders who have blocked reform for over twenty years.
On the subject of transparency, my opponent owes Rhode Islanders an apology for leveling a false and reckless charge. According to Rhode Island Ethics Commission Executive Director Jason Gramitt, I have filed all required financial disclosures. Under state law, candidates are required to file further disclosure (the General Office addendum) within thirty (30) days of filing their Declaration of Candidacy (June 22 – 24, 2026)— and no further disclosure is required until thirty days after that filing deadline.
As the only licensed attorney in this race, my opponent should understand the fundamental professional obligation to verify facts before launching accusations. I believe highly experienced attorneys called that “due-diligence?”
Meanwhile, as the only retired Army officer and combat veteran in the race, I have lived a life defined by the highest ethical standards — standards forged in service to this nation, not in political theater or “headline chasing”.
Rhode Islanders are tired of excuses. They want action. My plan delivers the independent, aggressive oversight taxpayers have demanded for decades — without new spending or new bureaucracy. Real accountability isn’t a campaign slogan. It’s a commitment I am prepared to keep on Day One.
