Now That Rhode Island Finally Has an Inspector General, Lt. Governor Candidate Loughlin Unveils “Overwatch for the Ocean State”: One Office. Two Jobs. Zero New Dollars.

 

 

Press Release: John Laughlin for Lt. Governor

John Loughlin, candidate for Rhode Island Lieutenant Governor, today unveiled “Overwatch for the Ocean State,” a plan to transform the Lieutenant Governor’s Office into a taxpayer-focused watchdog operation dedicated to exposing fraud, waste, abuse, and government inefficiency — all without increasing spending or creating a new bureaucracy.

The proposal would repurpose the Lieutenant Governor’s existing $1.4 million budget and staff into a dual-purpose operation that combines constituent services and public engagement with professional oversight, auditing, transparency, and government performance reviews.

The announcement follows the General Assembly’s recent decision to create a separate Office of the Inspector General, a move announced just four days after Loughlin first proposed transforming the Lieutenant Governor’s Office into Rhode Island’s independent watchdog.

Loughlin welcomed the General Assembly’s decision to finally create an Office of the Inspector General, noting that Rhode Island taxpayers have waited decades for a dedicated watchdog empowered to investigate fraud, waste, and abuse.

“The independent Inspector General’s Office makes Overwatch for the Ocean State significantly more effective,” he said.

“Any serious effort to increase accountability in state government is a step in the right direction. However, Rhode Islanders should also know that the legislation specifically exempts the General Assembly itself and its more than $63 million annual budget from the Inspector General’s oversight. True accountability should apply to everyone who spends taxpayer money, not just the executive branch,” Loughlin said.

“Overwatch for the Ocean State will operate independently of positions created by, appointed by, and responsive to the supermajority in Providence. It will examine government performance wherever public information is available, regardless of which branch of government is involved.”

On Day One, Loughlin said he will transform the Lieutenant Governor’s Office into Rhode Island’s independent watchdog for government accountability and taxpayer protection.

“Rhode Islanders are tired of political cronies, endless studies, and new bureaucracies that cost more money. Overwatch proves we can do better. One office. Two jobs. Zero new dollars.”

“Instead of hiring political cronies to attend groundbreakings and ribbon-cuttings, I will hire a team of auditors and investigators,” Loughlin said.

This initiative is designed to finally give taxpayers a measurable return on their investment in the Lieutenant Governor’s Office.

“For decades, Rhode Islanders have been told the Lieutenant Governor’s Office serves an important purpose, yet many taxpayers struggle to identify what they receive for the $1.4 million they spend on it every year,” Loughlin said. “Overwatch changes that. If this office identifies and helps eliminate even a small percentage of the fraud, waste, inefficiency, and abuse that exists in state government, taxpayers could see savings many times greater than the entire cost of operating the office. That’s a return on investment every Rhode Island family can relate to.”

“More importantly, Overwatch is about more than finding problems. It is about fixing them. We will examine how state government operates, identify management failures and inefficiencies, recommend practical reforms, and shine a spotlight on what works and what doesn’t. Taxpayers deserve a government that is not only honest but effective. And we’ll make it all public through regular press conferences, podcasts, and newsletters.”

“Taxpayers want more than a ribbon-cutting office,” Loughlin added. “They deserve an office that asks tough questions, follows the money, measures results, and works every day to make government more effective.”

How Overwatch Will Work

Rather than duplicate the responsibilities of the newly created Inspector General, Overwatch will serve as the public’s first line of oversight and accountability.

Using publicly available information, Rhode Island’s Access to Public Records Act (APRA), Open Meetings Act records, budget documents, audits, contracts, and performance data, the office will conduct independent reviews of government operations and publicly report its findings.

The Oversight Division Will:

• Conduct proactive reviews of state agencies, quasi-public agencies, boards, commissions, and major state programs.
• Track and publicly report agency response times to APRA requests as a real-time measure of government transparency.
• Examine management practices and operational performance across state government and recommend reforms to improve efficiency, accountability, and customer service.
• Identify unnecessary spending, duplication of effort, outdated regulations, and administrative bottlenecks that drive up costs for taxpayers.
• Receive and evaluate complaints from citizens, whistleblowers, journalists, public employees, and watchdog organizations.
• Refer evidence of fraud, corruption, abuse, or criminal misconduct to the Inspector General, Attorney General, Rhode Island State Police, or other appropriate authorities.
• Publish findings through reports, press conferences, podcasts, public briefings, and digital newsletters so Rhode Islanders can see exactly how their government is performing.

“If a constitutional officer is denied access to, or charged exorbitant fees for, publicly available information, what chance does the average citizen have?” Loughlin asked. “Overwatch will shine a bright light on government secrecy, expose roadblocks to transparency, and give Rhode Islanders the information they need to hold their government accountable.”

Merit-Based Staffing, Not Political Patronage

Loughlin said the office would be staffed by professionals with backgrounds in auditing, investigations, public administration, compliance, finance, data analysis, and government operations — not political operatives.

The team would be led by a Director of Audits and Investigations responsible for overseeing all reviews and ensuring professional standards. Supporting staff would include auditors, investigators, transparency specialists, and administrative personnel capable of conducting financial reviews, management audits, performance evaluations, and public-records compliance monitoring.

Proposed Positions

• Chief Auditor/Investigator — Salary range: $130,000–$160,000 (1 position)
• Senior/Principal Auditors — Salary range: $85,000–$120,000 (2 positions)
• Field Investigator — Salary range: $70,000–$105,000 (1 position)
• Investigators/Auditors — Salary range: $65,000–$98,000 (3 positions)
• Administrative Aide — Salary range: $50,000–$65,000 (1 position)

Beyond identifying fraud and abuse, the office would focus on helping government work better by studying best practices, measuring agency performance, and recommending practical reforms that save money while improving services.

“Taxpayers deserve an office that asks tough questions, follows the money, measures results, and works every day to make government more effective,” he said.

One Office. Two Jobs. Zero New Dollars.

Under Loughlin’s plan, the Lieutenant Governor’s Office would continue serving constituents while simultaneously operating as a permanent taxpayer watchdog.

“No new taxes. No new bureaucracy. No new spending,” Loughlin said. “Just a smarter use of resources that already belong to the people of Rhode Island. Overwatch for the Ocean State will turn the Lieutenant Governor’s Office into something it has never truly been before: a force for transparency, accountability, and better government.”