85-592: Sheldon Whitehouse (born October 20, 1955) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Rhode Island since 2007. A member of the Democratic Party , he served as the United States Attorney for the District of Rhode Island from 1993 to 1998 and as the 71st attorney general of Rhode Island from 1999 to 2003. In 2006 , he won his first term to
170-618: A Republican , on April 4, 2005. By September 30, he had raised over $ 600,000 for his campaign, including $ 360,000 of his own, more than doubling Chafee's fundraising. Whitehouse campaigned heavily against the Iraq War and the United States's dependence on foreign oil. After winning the Democratic primary by a large margin, he defeated Chafee with 53 percent of the vote in the 2006 general election. With his victory, Whitehouse became
255-475: A marine biologist and granddaughter of James Worth Thornton and Elena Mumm Thornton Wilson. Her step-grandfather was prominent essayist and critic Edmund Wilson . They live in Rhode Island with their two children. Whitehouse is Episcopalian . Among Whitehouse's distant ancestors are William Bradford , governor of Plymouth Colony , and theologian Archibald Alexander . Whitehouse's longtime ties to
340-812: A campaign to seize control of the American government, specifically the Supreme Court of the United States , a hallmark of his Senate tenure. Whitehouse was born on October 20, 1955, in New York City, the son of Mary Celine (née Rand) and career diplomat Charles Sheldon Whitehouse , and grandson of diplomat Edwin Sheldon Whitehouse (1883–1965). Whitehouse's father served as the U.S. Ambassador to Thailand and Laos . Among his great-great-grandfathers were Episcopalian bishop Henry John Whitehouse and railroad robber baron Charles Crocker , who
425-591: A candidate for one of Rhode Island's U.S. Senate seats, aiming to expand the Republican Party's ethnic votership. Cianci clashed behind the scenes with John Chafee over Rhode Island's Republican nomination for the Senate seat. Chafee was elected to the Senate in 1976 and Cianci was re-elected as Mayor of Providence as a Republican in 1978. Cianci ran for governor in 1980, losing out to incumbent J. Joseph Garrahy . After this loss, Cianci drifted away from
510-403: A charismatic and media-savvy politician. Cianci's propensity to attend parades, weddings, public events, and backyard neighborhood barbecues prompted a common joke that Cianci would jump to "attend the opening of an envelope". Cianci was revered by many residents of Providence, credited with the revitalizing of the city's economy and image. In the mid- to late 1970s, Cianci became a rising star in
595-474: A history of accepting dark money and overlooking it when such contributions flow to his Democratic colleagues. Whitehouse critiqued conservative dark money groups who backed Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh 's nomination. The Washington Post criticized him for not addressing anti-Kavanaugh groups with the same scrutiny. In 2019, Whitehouse announced that he intended to introduce legislation that would require groups that file amicus curiae briefs with
680-647: A job in marketing and sales for the XV Beacon, a luxury hotel in Boston. However, he ultimately chose to return to Rhode Island and began work at the 903 Residences in Providence. On the animated sitcom Family Guy (set in Rhode Island), Chris attended Buddy Cianci Junior High School. One episode released in 2005 was titled " Fast Times at Buddy Cianci Jr. High ". On September 20, 2007, Cianci returned to
765-555: A long tradition in Rhode Island." A spokesperson for Whitehouse said the club did not have any restrictive racial policies and that it had members of color. Whitehouse declined to provide details of the club's membership, and the club initially refused to answer questions about its policies or membership. The club ultimately put out a statement saying reports that all its members were white were "inaccurate and false". The club's president urged members to use "restraint" when speaking to
850-417: A murder case, was shot by a relative of the man she was to testify against later that year. Whitehouse ran for the Democratic nomination for governor of Rhode Island in 2002. He lost the primary election to former State Senator Myrth York , who was unsuccessful in the general election against Republican Donald Carcieri . Whitehouse launched his campaign for the U.S. Senate seat held by Lincoln Chafee ,
935-553: A national right to abortion. In 2007, the National Journal ranked Whitehouse the second-most liberal senator. He voted to confirm Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court . In the spring of 2007, Whitehouse joined other senators in calling for Attorney General Alberto Gonzales's resignation. After Gonzales's first appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee related to
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#17327866683981020-427: A science advisory board to ensure that the planning uses the best available science". Of a proposed action on mandatory emissions curbs, Whitehouse told The Hill , "I am not hearing anybody on our side, even the people who are more economically concerned about the climate legislation who come from coal states, that sort of thing, saying, 'What are we going to say about this, is this a problem?'" Whitehouse dismissed
1105-406: A senator who has served for 12 years is more senior than one who has served for 10 years. Because several new senators usually join at the beginning of a new Congress, seniority is determined by prior federal or state government service and, if necessary, the amount of time spent in the tiebreaking office. These tiebreakers in order are: When more than one senator had such office, its length of time
1190-406: A song titled "Buddy Cianci" on November 4, 2014. His campaign was unsuccessful and he lost narrowly to Democrat Jorge Elorza , conceding the election on November 4. In January 2014, Cianci was diagnosed with colon cancer. Cianci died on January 28, 2016, at the age of 74. He had been taken to the hospital the previous day after experiencing abdominal pain while filming his television show, On
1275-405: A special assistant attorney general in 1969. The position was part-time but prestigious. In 1972, Cianci backed up lead prosecutor Irving Brodsky in the trial of mob boss Raymond L.S. Patriarca . Patriarca was found not guilty, but Cianci won praise as an Italian American fighting "The Mob" , when the film The Godfather painted an unflattering image of Italian Americans. In 1973, he became
1360-546: A special election was held to name a replacement. Cianci attempted to run in the election under the rubric that he had been convicted of a felony but received a five-year suspended sentence rather than being sent to prison. After a few weeks, it was decided by the Rhode Island Supreme Court that Cianci could not run in the special election, because the legislative intent was that the convicted incumbent could not succeed himself in office. The special election
1445-439: A special election. The seniority date for an appointed senator is usually the date of the appointment, although the actual term does not begin until they take the oath of office. An incoming senator who holds another office, including membership in the U.S. House of Representatives , must resign from that office before becoming a senator. A senator's seniority is primarily determined by length of continuous service; for example,
1530-730: A weekly political segment called Your Attention Please , which was renamed Buddy TV. The timeslot became a daily segment in July 2008, and was renamed The World According to Buddy as of May 2011. His position at WLNE began on November 1, 2007. Cianci also hosted the station's weekend public affairs program On the Record with Buddy Cianci . He began in October 2008 as cohost of the program with WLNE weeknight anchor John DeLuca and became solo host in May 2011. Cianci became eligible to run for mayor again in
1615-450: Is named president pro tempore of the Senate , the second-highest office in the Senate and the third in the line of succession to the presidency of the United States . The United States Constitution does not mandate differences in rights or power, but Senate rules give more power to senators with more seniority. Generally, senior senators will have more power, especially within their own caucuses . There are several benefits, including
1700-463: Is the responsibility of property owners to abate and mitigate lead hazards. When Black Providence police officer Cornel Young Jr. was shot and killed by two fellow officers while he was off duty in January 2000, Whitehouse was criticized for not appointing an independent prosecutor to investigate the shooting. Later that year, Whitehouse was criticized when 15-year-old Jennifer Rivera, a witness in
1785-501: Is used to break the tie. For instance, Jerry Moran , John Boozman , John Hoeven , Marco Rubio , Ron Johnson , Rand Paul , Richard Blumenthal , and Mike Lee took office on January 3, 2011. The first two senators mentioned had served in the House of Representatives: Moran had served for 14 years and Boozman for nine. As a former governor, Hoeven is ranked immediately after the former House members. The rest are ranked by population as of
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#17327866683981870-410: The 2000 census . These ranked from 36th to 43rd in seniority when the 118th United States Congress convened. If two senators are tied on all criteria, the one whose surname comes first alphabetically is considered the senior senator. This happened with Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock , both of Georgia, who were sworn in on January 20, 2021. Because they were both newly elected senators from
1955-475: The Climatic Research Unit conspiracy theory : "Climategate should properly be known as Climategate-gate because it was the scandal that was phony." Whitehouse has said that the development of alternate energy sources , including solar power , will eliminate U.S. dependence on foreign oil. He has cited the installation of new solar panels on three new bank branches in Rhode Island, saying that
2040-800: The Federal Correctional Institution, Fort Dix , in Burlington County, New Jersey . Cianci appealed the conviction to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit but was unsuccessful. In August 2005, Cianci made a request for early release but was denied. Cianci was released from prison on May 30, 2007, to a halfway house near Northeastern University in Boston . Upon his initial release from federal prison, he had already secured
2125-483: The Irish-American Democratic machine, Cianci won his first election by 709 votes. Cianci became the city's first Italian-American Republican mayor, ending a 150-year "power monopoly" held by Irish Democrats. At the age of 33 years, 10 months and seven days, he was then the city's youngest mayor and the first Republican to lead that heavily Democratic city since 1939. Cianci was well known to be
2210-569: The Rhode Island Attorney General 's office as a special assistant attorney general from 1985 to 1990, chief of the Regulatory Unit (which oversaw utilities) from 1988 to 1990, and as an assistant attorney general from 1989 to 1990. Whitehouse worked as Rhode Island Governor Bruce Sundlun 's executive counsel beginning in 1991, and was later tapped to serve as director of policy. He oversaw the state's response to
2295-445: The Rhode Island banking crisis that took place soon after Sundlun took office. In 1992, Sundlun appointed Whitehouse the state's Director of Business Regulation, where he oversaw the state's workers' compensation insurance system. President Bill Clinton appointed Whitehouse United States Attorney for Rhode Island in 1994. Whitehouse held the position for four years. With the 1996 extortion conviction of mobster Gerard Ouimette , he
2380-542: The STOCK Act , which is designed to combat insider trading, by failing to disclose two personal stock purchases by the federal deadline. The stocks in question were for the Target Corporation and Tesla, Inc. Whitehouse's office acknowledged that he missed the disclosure deadline, blaming it on a staff transition in his office. In September 2022, an investigation by The New York Times found that Whitehouse
2465-821: The Southern New England School of Law . Cianci enlisted in the United States Army on November 29, 1966. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Military Police Corps on April 24, 1967. He served on active duty until 1969 and then in the Army Reserve as a civil affairs officer through 1972. After being admitted to the Rhode Island Bar Association in 1967, Cianci was hired by Rhode Island Attorney General Herbert F. DeSimone as
2550-512: The controversy , Whitehouse told NPR , "[Gonzales] had a hard sell to make to me, and he didn't make it." He continued to question Gonzales's service in the NSA warrantless surveillance controversy . Upon Attorney General Eric Holder 's announcement in September 2014 of his intention to step down, some speculated that Whitehouse could be nominated as Holder's replacement. In February 2016, after
2635-508: The gun show loophole and boyfriend loophole . He voted for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act . During its passage, Whitehouse cautioned that conservative opposition to the bill was moving toward historical instances of mob violence. In December 2009, Whitehouse said " birthers ", "fanatics", and "people running around in right-wing militia and Aryan support groups" opposed Obamacare. In September 2014, Whitehouse
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2720-408: The junior senator . This convention has no official standing, though seniority confers several benefits, including preference in the choice of committee assignments and physical offices. When senators have been in office for the same length of time, a number of tiebreakers, including previous offices held, are used to determine seniority. By tradition, the longest serving senator of the majority party
2805-491: The 2019 film The Report . Pete Davidson portrayed Whitehouse in the cold open of the season 44 premiere of Saturday Night Live . Seniority in the United States Senate United States senators are conventionally ranked by the length of their tenure in the Senate. The senator in each U.S. state with the longer time in office is known as the senior senator ; the other is
2890-495: The 4-year period." In 1996, Cianci pushed to create an arts and entertainment district in downtown Providence by offering income and sales tax breaks to attract artists to downtown. Cianci said the tax breaks were part of an arts-centered economic development strategy. The idea was to develop an image of Providence as an "artist-friendly" city; this would attract not only artists but also well-educated workers, high-technology firms, economic development, and tourism. The strategy
2975-637: The 74-year-old Cianci announced his engagement to model and actress Tara Marie Haywood, then in her 30s. At the age of seven, Cianci began appearing regularly on WJAR 's Kiddie Revue Sunday radio broadcast from the Outlet Department Store on Weybosset Street, downtown Providence. After briefly attending public school, Cianci enrolled in Moses Brown School , a private school on the East Side of Providence . There, he became
3060-495: The Energy Department be granted maximum funding for carbon capture , utilization and storage (CCUS), arguing that American job growth could be stimulated by investment in capturing carbon emissions and expressing disagreement with President Trump's 2020 budget request to combine the two federal programs that do carbon capture research. Since 2012, Whitehouse has spoken on the Senate floor about climate change every week
3145-520: The FBI investigation of Kavanaugh had been "fake", saying "This kind of paranoid obsession is Nixonian poison to public trust." On July 9, 2024, it was reported that Whitehouse and Senator Ron Wyden sent a official letter the previous week to Attorney General Merrick Garland requesting him to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas for possible tax and ethics violations. In 1986, Whitehouse married Sandra Thornton,
3230-643: The Fleet Skating Center. He also helped to orchestrate the establishment of the summer weekend festivals known as WaterFire in downtown Providence, which continues to bring up to 100,000 people to the downtown area alone on the summer nights it takes place. In 1995, Cianci launched a brand of tomato sauce, "Mayor's Own Marinara Sauce ." It was claimed that proceeds from sales were "Benefiting Providence School Children" and helped hundreds of students attend college. However, an August 2014 Associated Press report found that "in recent years, no money from
3315-475: The Laurel Hill section of nearby Cranston, Rhode Island . Cianci was the younger child of Dr. Vincent Albert Cianci and Esther Cianci, née Capobianco (whose great-grandfather served as mayor of Benevento, Italy ), who married in 1937. His only marriage, in 1973, was to Sheila Bentley McKenna; the couple divorced in 1983. They had one daughter, Nicole, who died in 2012. Shortly before dying in early 2016,
3400-637: The Record with Buddy Cianci , at the WLNE-TV studio. Thousands of people viewed Cianci's open casket as his body lay in state for two days in Providence City Hall , the first mayor to be so honored since Thomas Doyle in 1886. A horse-drawn carriage carried his casket through the city during a snowstorm on February 8, as it made its way to the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul where Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas Joseph Tobin presided over
3485-531: The Republican Party after he was not given an appointment in the Reagan administration despite his support of Ronald Reagan and intimations by Reagan's campaign manager, John Sears . In 1982, he was reelected as Mayor of Providence as an independent. During his first tenure in office, Buddy Cianci often clashed with the Providence City Council over issues such as the municipal budget. Cianci
Sheldon Whitehouse - Misplaced Pages Continue
3570-609: The Rhode Island band Downtown Boys , contributed to changing his position. Whitehouse is a supporter of gun control legislation. In 2022, Whitehouse voted for the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act , a gun reform bill introduced following a deadly school shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. The bill enhanced background checks for firearm purchasers under the age of 21, provided funding for school-based mental health services, and partially closed
3655-735: The Senate has been in session, giving his 250th speech on the issue on July 24, 2019. Whitehouse was a member of the Senate Democrats' Special Committee on the Climate Crisis, which published a report of its findings in August 2020. Whitehouse supported a vote that would limit continuing U.S. support for the War in Yemen . Initially, he was one of the two Democratic holdouts in the Senate, but an activist effort, including mobilizing fans of
3740-551: The Senate, defeating Republican incumbent Lincoln Chaffee . Whitehouse was reelected in 2012 , 2018 , and 2024 . A political progressive and climate hawk, Whitehouse became chair of the United States Senate Committee on the Budget in 2023. He has given hundreds of Senate floor speeches about climate change and has made his assertion that politically conservative " dark money " groups are conducting
3825-637: The Supreme Court: The Big-Money Assault on Our Judiciary". He alleged that a "multi-hundred million dollar covert operation" influences the U.S. Supreme Court. Also in March 2021, Whitehouse wrote U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland a letter asking him to investigate "what appears to have been a politically constrained and perhaps fake FBI investigation into alleged misconduct by now-Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh." Senator Ben Sasse critiqued Whitehouse's allegation that
3910-682: The Supreme Court—even as that 'dark money' now floods in to support the judicial nomination process his party controls." Roll Call wrote that when talking about undisclosed political spending, Whitehouse "can sound conspiratorial". Ilya Shapiro of the Cato Institute , serving as a witness at one of Whitehouse's congressional hearings about political spending, said Whitehouse was on a "quixotic crusade". The New York Times and Wall Street Journal have complained that, while positioning himself as someone opposed to dark money, Whitehouse has
3995-632: The U.S. Supreme Court to disclose their donors. Whitehouse has received over $ 175,000 in campaign donations from the League of Conservation Voters . Billionaire Tom Steyer has donated $ 17,300 directly to Whitehouse since 2006. Other donors to Whitehouse include the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council . In March 2021, Whitehouse convened a Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing titled "What's Wrong with
4080-473: The White House, Senate, and House of Representatives in the 2024 elections, they would be "virtually certain" to pass a Supreme Court reform bill by a simple majority, which would evade the 60-vote requirement for cloture . Whitehouse said Democrats would include 18-year term limits for Supreme Court justices and establish ethics and recusal rules in an omnibus package that would also include a bill creating
4165-440: The airwaves on local Providence AM radio station WPRO, hosting a weekday talk show. He said that he had no plans to run for political office again, although he had not entirely ruled it out when pressed on the issue. On October 24, 2007, Cianci appeared on WLNE-TV ABC6 to announce that in addition to his radio show, he was joining the television station as chief political analyst and contributing editor. The work included moderating
4250-479: The amount of federal activity nearby. In July 2020, he cosponsored a Senate bill to grant D.C. statehood. In November 2011, Whitehouse introduced the Safeguarding America's Future and Environment (SAFE) Act, a bill that would require federal natural resource agencies to be concerned with the long-term effects of climate change, encourage states to prepare natural resource adaptation plans, and "create
4335-414: The case of senators elected in a run-off election occurring after the commencement of a new term, or a special election, their seniority date will be the date they are sworn in and not the first day of that Congress. A senator may be simultaneously elected to fill a term in a special election and elected to the six-year term which begins on the upcoming January 3. Their seniority is that of someone chosen in
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#17327866683984420-454: The case: "Clearly, there is a feeling in city government in Providence that corruption is tolerated. In this mayor's two administrations, there has been more corruption in the City of Providence than in the history of this state." Much of the trial was focused around a video tape showing top Cianci aide Director of Administration Frank A. Corrente taking a bribe. NBC reporter Jim Taricani aired
4505-774: The death of U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia , USA Today named Whitehouse as a possible nominee to fill the vacancy. Whitehouse's service as a U.S. Attorney and as Attorney General of Rhode Island gives him both legislative experience and experience as a legal official, though not as a judge. Whitehouse was ultimately not nominated. Whitehouse has faced some criticism for alleged insider trading , avoiding big losses by trading stocks after top federal officials warned congressional leaders of "the coming economic cataclysm" on September 16, 2008. After meeting with Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson on September 16, and being briefed on
4590-527: The elite private club Bailey's Beach have attracted scrutiny. The New York Times called the club a haven for members of America's "ruling class" and various media outlets have said it has an all-white membership. In June 2021, Whitehouse defended his family's membership in the club. Asked whether the club had any nonwhite members, he replied, "I think the people who are running the place are still working on that, and I'm sorry it hasn't happened yet." Asked whether such clubs should continue to exist, he said, "It's
4675-558: The fall of 1974, Cianci narrowly beat incumbent Mayor Joseph A. Doorley Jr. on an anti-corruption campaign. Cianci was helped by a revolt of Democrats upset with Doorley's administration. Cianci presented himself as a visionary reformer, outlining plans to revive an economically troubled downtown, rebuild the waterfront, restore blighted neighborhoods, create parks, and improve schools. Positioning himself as "the Anti-Corruption candidate," an Italian-American candidate taking on
4760-494: The first Democrat to win this Senate seat since John Pastore in 1970 . On November 6, 2012, Whitehouse won reelection to a second term in office, defeating Republican challenger Barry Hinckley by 30 points, with 64.9 percent of the total vote. On November 6, 2018, Whitehouse was reelected to a third term, defeating Republican Robert Flanders by 23 points. Whitehouse is running for a fourth Senate term in 2024. In August 2024, Whitehouse said that if Democrats won control of
4845-461: The following: The beginning of an appointment does not necessarily coincide with the date the Senate convenes or when the new senator is sworn in. In the case of senators first elected in a general election for the upcoming Congress, their terms begin on the first day of the new Congress. For most of American history this was March 4 of odd-numbered years, but effective from 1935 the 20th Amendment moved this to January 3 of odd-numbered years. In
4930-429: The man had been romantically involved with his wife, from whom Cianci was separated at the time. Both DeLeo and Cianci's estranged wife disputed the relationship. Cianci and his driver were charged with kidnaping, beating, and torturing Deleo. Providence municipal regulations prohibit a convicted felon from holding public office. Ironically, Cianci had promulgated that rule a few years earlier. After Cianci's resignation,
5015-493: The media. Whitehouse said he would not ask his family members to resign from the club because "they are on the right side of pushing for improvements" and "my relationship with my family is not one in which I tell them what to do". Whitehouse later acknowledged belonging to a Newport sailing club that he said lacked diversity, saying, "Failing to address the sailing club's lack of diversity is squarely on me, and something for which I am sorry." John Rothman portrayed Whitehouse in
5100-404: The national Republican Party . After being introduced by Bob Dole , Cianci made an address at the 1976 Republican convention. There was talk of him being the first Italian-American vice president. Cianci was also seriously considered for a federal Cabinet seat in the second Gerald Ford administration, had Ford been elected in 1976. After Ford's loss to Jimmy Carter , Cianci promoted himself as
5185-629: The other inaccuracies in Whitehouse's speech". In a May 29, 2015, Washington Post editorial, Whitehouse advocated prosecution of members of the fossil fuel industry under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) . In April 2019, Whitehouse was one of 12 senators to sign a bipartisan letter to top senators on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development advocating that
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#17327866683985270-505: The projects "created jobs, they put people to work, they lowered the cost for these banks of their electrical energy, and they get us off foreign oil and away, step by step, from these foreign entanglements that we have to get into to defend our oil supply". PolitiFact investigated the economics of renewable energy and determined that solar and wind investments would not have a large effect on oil consumption, calling Whitehouse's comments "mostly false" due to "this misimpression—and because of
5355-564: The prosecutor of the Rhode Island Attorney General's Anti-Corruption Strike Force, a position he held until his first election as mayor in 1974. As part of this task force, Cianci was involved in an investigation of Providence Mayor Joseph A. Doorley Jr. Cianci gained a reputation as an anti-corruption crusader. During this time, Cianci gained political experience working on Attorney General Herbert DeSimone's unsuccessful campaigns for governor in 1970 and 1972. In
5440-594: The roommate of Adrian Hendricks, the first Black student to attend the prestigious school. Later, Cianci transferred schools and would earn a bachelor's degree in government at Fairfield University . Cianci earned a master's degree in Political Science at Villanova University and a Juris Doctor at Marquette University Law School in 1966. Cianci also held honorary doctorates awarded by Fairfield University (his alma mater), Johnson & Wales University , Roger Williams University , and, most recently, from
5525-471: The same state, with no prior government service, no other tie-breaking criteria could be used. The Senate's official records, as well as the Democratic Caucus, thus consider Ossoff, whose name comes first alphabetically and elected to a full six-year term, as the senior senator. Only relevant factors are listed below. For senators whose seniority is based on their state's respective population,
5610-450: The sauce's sales has been donated to Cianci's charity scholarship fund." From 2009 to 2012, the sauce made a total of $ 3 in income, longtime Cianci adviser Charles Mansolillo told the AP. In 2009, they lost $ 2,200 on the sauce, Mansolillo said. The following year, they made $ 2,974, while in 2011, they lost $ 2,969. In 2012, they made $ 2,198 profit, he said. That adds up to a profit of just $ 3 during
5695-403: The sentencing. Between his sentencing and the start of his jail term, Cianci resumed his radio career hosting a midday show with former Providence radio host (and former director of communications to Governor Don Carcieri ) Steve Kass on AM talk station WPRO . After some legal wrangling, Cianci's lawyers managed to have him sent to prison closer to Rhode Island, and Cianci served his sentence at
5780-2184: The state population ranking is given as determined by the relevant United States census current at the time that they began service. Republican (49) Democratic (47) Independent (4) 1 (1789) 2 (1791) 3 (1793) 4 (1795) 5 (1797) 6 (1799) 7 (1801) 8 (1803) 9 (1805) 10 (1807) 11 (1809) 12 (1811) 13 (1813) 14 (1815) 15 (1817) 16 (1819) 17 (1821) 18 (1823) 19 (1825) 20 (1827) 21 (1829) 22 (1831) 23 (1833) 24 (1835) 25 (1837) 26 (1839) 27 (1841) 28 (1843) 29 (1845) 30 (1847) 31 (1849) 32 (1851) 33 (1853) 34 (1855) 35 (1857) 36 (1859) 37 (1861) 38 (1863) 39 (1865) 40 (1867) 41 (1869) 42 (1871) 43 (1873) 44 (1875) 45 (1877) 46 (1879) 47 (1881) 48 (1883) 49 (1885) 50 (1887) 51 (1889) 52 (1891) 53 (1893) 54 (1895) 55 (1897) 56 (1899) 57 (1901) 58 (1903) 59 (1905) 60 (1907) 61 (1909) 62 (1911) 63 (1913) 64 (1915) 65 (1917) 66 (1919) 67 (1921) 68 (1923) 69 (1925) 70 (1927) 71 (1929) 72 (1931) 73 (1933) 74 (1935) 75 (1937) 76 (1939) 77 (1941) 78 (1943) 79 (1945) 80 (1947) 81 (1949) 82 (1951) 83 (1953) 84 (1955) 85 (1957) 86 (1959) 87 (1961) 88 (1963) 89 (1965) 90 (1967) 91 (1969) 92 (1971) 93 (1973) 94 (1975) 95 (1977) 96 (1979) 97 (1981) 98 (1983) 99 (1985) 100 (1987) 101 (1989) 102 (1991) 103 (1993) 104 (1995) 105 (1997) 106 (1999) 107 (2001) 108 (2003) 109 (2005) 110 (2007) 111 (2009) 112 (2011) 113 (2013) 114 (2015) 115 (2017) 116 (2019) 117 (2021) 118 (2023) Vincent Cianci Vincent Albert " Buddy " Cianci Jr. ( / s i ˈ æ n s i / , see- AN -see ; Italian pronunciation: [ˈtʃantʃi] , CHAHN -chee ; April 30, 1941 – January 28, 2016)
5865-400: The tape on local television station WJAR , and he was sentenced to six months of house arrest for refusing to reveal his sources to the court. Cianci did not maintain a low profile after the indictment but poked fun at the investigation, code-named " Operation Plunder Dome ". Nine people (including Cianci) were convicted in the trials, which were presided over by Judge Ernest C. Torres . Cianci
5950-561: The television show Providence . During Cianci's second run as mayor, beginning in 1991, the city of Providence entered its "Renaissance phase". During his tenure, Providence became visibly cleaner and more tourist-friendly. Cianci brought the Providence Bruins hockey team to Rhode Island from Maine and pushed to further several projects in the city, including new hotels, the Providence Place shopping mall and
6035-564: The unfolding financial crisis, Whitehouse sold a number of positions, valued between $ 250,000 and $ 600,000, over the next six days. After coming under scrutiny due to possible insider trading, a spokesperson for his office denied it, saying Whitehouse "is not actively involved in the management" of the implicated accounts and that he "neither directed his financial advisor to undertake any transaction during that time, nor ever took advantage of any exclusive or secret information". In March 2022, Business Insider reported that Whitehouse had violated
6120-620: The year 2012, three years after his probation ended (due to the provisions of the 1986 Rhode Island constitutional amendment, aptly named "the Buddy amendment"). The next election in which Cianci would have been eligible to run was the November 2014. In 2010, Cianci was quoted as saying that he was "taking a good look" at running for the U.S. House seat to be vacated by Democrat Patrick J. Kennedy . He did not declare his candidacy. In May 2014, Cianci, after being successfully treated for cancer,
6205-511: Was acquitted of 26 out of 27 charges, including bribery, extortion, and mail fraud, but he was found guilty of racketeering conspiracy, running a corrupt criminal enterprise. In September 2002, Cianci was sentenced to serve five years in federal prison by Judge Torres, who opted for a higher sentence than the minimum required by the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Cianci was forced by law to resign immediately following
6290-614: Was among the founders of the Central Pacific Railroad . Whitehouse graduated from St. Paul's School , an elite boarding school in Concord , New Hampshire, and from Yale College in 1978. He received his Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1982. Whitehouse worked as a clerk for Justice Richard Neely of the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia from 1982 to 1983. He also worked in
6375-560: Was among the members of Congress who had bought or sold stock that intersected with his congressional work, including trading stock in public companies that came before the committees on which he serves. In a 2018 interview with the Providence Journal , Whitehouse expressed opposition to D.C. statehood . He was dismissive of efforts to give District residents representation in Congress, suggesting they should be satisfied with
6460-516: Was an American politician, attorney, radio talk show host, and political commentator who served as the mayor of Providence, Rhode Island from 1975 to 1984 and again from 1991 to 2002. Cianci was the longest-serving mayor of Providence, having held office for over 21 years. Cianci was twice elected Mayor of Providence. Earlier in his career, he served as a state prosecutor in the Rhode Island Department of Attorney General. Cianci
6545-401: Was cleared by his doctors to run for mayor in the 2014 November election. On June 25, Cianci declared his candidacy for Mayor of Providence as an independent. In August, he named former Cianci staffer Cyd McKenna as his campaign manager and Dee Dee Witman as his finance chair, alongside other former staffers Charles Mansolillo and Beryl Kenyon. Providence hip-hop artist Zumo Kollie released
6630-526: Was copied as a model by Baltimore and other cities. In 1998 , Cianci ran again for reelection, unopposed on the ballot. The popular Cianci had never lost a mayoral election, until losing to Jorge Elorza in November 2014 . Cianci was indicted in April 2001 on federal criminal charges of racketeering , conspiracy , extortion , witness tampering , and mail fraud . Several other Providence city officials were also indicted. Judge Ronald R. Lagueux said of
6715-474: Was elected Rhode Island Attorney General . He initiated a lawsuit against the lead paint industry that ended in a mistrial; the state later won a second lawsuit against former lead paint manufacturers Sherwin-Williams , Millennium Holdings, and NL Industries that found them responsible for creating a public nuisance. This decision, however, was unanimously overturned by the Rhode Island Supreme Court on July 1, 2008. The court found that under Rhode Island law it
6800-612: Was first elected mayor as the candidate of the Republican Party . While in office, he declared himself an independent and, as of 2009 , he said that he had no party affiliation. On his radio show in June 2014, Cianci announced that he would run for mayor again. He was defeated by Democratic candidate Jorge Elorza in the 2014 election . Cianci was born on April 30, 1941, in Providence, Rhode Island . His family lived in
6885-469: Was forced to resign from office during both mayoral tenures due to felony convictions. His first administration ended in 1984 when he pleaded no contest to charges brought against him involving kidnapping and torturing a man Cianci believed was romantically involved with his ex-wife. His second stint as mayor ended when he was forced to resign following his conviction for one count of racketeering conspiracy, and he served four years in federal prison. Cianci
6970-769: Was one of 69 members of Congress to sign a letter to then- FDA commissioner Sylvia Burwell requesting that the FDA revise its policy banning donation of corneas and other tissues by men who have had sex with another man in the preceding five years. He has publicly supported reintroducing the Equal Rights Amendment . Whitehouse has been a staunch critic of so-called " dark money ", or political spending by nonprofit organizations that are not required to disclose their donors. According to Roll Call , "Whitehouse hasn't been as convincing as he'd hoped in his campaign to curb conservative anonymous donors and their influence on
7055-416: Was supported by political allies in the Providence City Council's Republican minority. During Cianci's first administration, the Providence City Council tried to create an ordinance for residents of the city to be able to vote their public officials out of office. Cianci was forced by law to resign from office for the first time in 1984 after pleading nolo contendere or "no contest". Cianci claimed that
7140-411: Was the first prosecutor to convict a member of organized crime under Clinton's " three strikes law ". Ouimette was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. Whitehouse initiated the investigation into municipal corruption in Rhode Island that led to Operation Plunder Dome , in which Mayor of Providence Vincent "Buddy" Cianci was eventually convicted on conspiracy charges. In 1998, Whitehouse
7225-429: Was won by City Council Chairman, Acting Mayor, and future ambassador to Malta Joseph R. Paolino Jr. Cianci spent the next few years as a radio talk show host on Providence AM station 920 WHJJ and as a television commentator. In 1990, he successfully mounted a reelection campaign with the slogan, "He never stopped caring about Providence." In the early 2000s, Cianci also made several guest appearances as himself on
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