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PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — A candidate for a Providence City Council seat is facing accusations of campaign finance violations.
The Rhode Island Board of Elections said an audit revealed Gerrard Catala, who is running for Ward 9 for Providence City Council, violated campaign finance laws.
According to the audit, the board initiated the audit in 2021 after Catala failed to submit a copy of 2018 campaign bank account statement to the board and failing to file four campaign finance reports from the 2018 election period.
The audit discovered that nearly $4000 was not reported on campaign finance reports, making the source of where the money came from not identifiable.
The report also said there was 132 transactions, with more than $7,000 in bank debits and $1400 in cash withdrawals was not disclosed on campaign finance reports.
The Board of Elections has now referred their findings to the Attorney General Peter Neronha who will determine if criminal charges are warranted. His office has not yet returned a request for comment.
A request for comment from Catala was not returned, but in the Auditee response, “Catala claimed that, to the best of his memory, his campaign was 100% self-financed throughout the entire 2018 campaign; and that he didn’t receive his first contribution until November 1, which was deposited on November 5.”
Catala, who previously ran unsuccessfully for council in 2014 and 2018, is seeking the seat this year and is facing other against fellow Democrats April Brown, Juan Pichardo and Miguel Quezada in the Sept. 13 primary.
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