(MM)
MANY CONTINUE TO CALL
FOR SENATOR NICHOLAS
KETTLE TO RESIGN--
AS HE FACES CRIMINAL
CHARGES FOR EXTORTION
AND VIDEO VOYUERISM.
AS WE FIRST TOLD YOU
YESTERDAY--
A SECRET GRAND JURY
INDICTMENT WAS
UNSEALED--
ALLEGING KETTLE USED
THREATS TO TRY AND
COERCE A FORMER
SENATE PAGE TO ENGAGE
IN SEXUAL ACTS.
TONIGHT--
WE'RE HEARING FROM
HIS FELLOW
LAWMAKERS--
ON THE CHARGES
AGAINST HIM.
EYEWITNESS NEWS
REPORTER STEPH
MACHADO IS LIVE IN
STUDIO--
WITH WHAT THEY HAD TO
SAY.
(SM)
THE SENATE IS ON
VACATION THIS WEEK BUT
IT HASN'T STOPPED THE
PRESSURE COMING FROM
BOTH DEMOCRATS AND
REPUBLICANS FOR
SENATOR KETTLE TO
RESIGN HIS SEAT.
" I will vote to expel"
SENATOR JIM SEVENEY ONE OF
MANY SENATORS TELLING
EYEWITNESS NEWS THEY WILL
VOTE "YES" IF THE SENATE
MOVES FORWARD WITH A VOTE
TO EXPEL SENATOR NICHOLAS
KETTLE...
WHO HAS NOW BEEN CHARGED
IN TWO CRIMINAL CASES...
ONE FOR ALLEGED VIDEO
VOYEURISM INVOLVING AN EX-
GIRLFRIEND...
AND ANOTHER WHERE A
GRAND JURY SAYS KETTLE
ALLEGEDLY EXTORTED A
STUDENT PAGE WORKING AT
THE STATEHOUSE IN AN
ATTEMPT TO HAVE SEX WITH
HIM.
: It's beyond the pale. It's
just not to
be tolerated.
THE SENATE PRESIDENT
DOMINICK RUGGERIO AND
MINORITY LEADER DENNIS
ALGIERE ALSO ARE CALLING ON
KETTLE TO RESIGN HIS SEAT AS
A REPUBLICAN REPRESENTING
COVENTRY..
THE REPUBLICAN COMMITTEE
IN THAT TOWN IS ALSO
PLANNING TO REMOVE HIM
FROM THEIR MEMBERSHIP....
COVENTRY REPUBLICAN STATE
REP BOBBY NARDOLILLO, SAID:
"As a Representative of
Coventry,
and a constituent of the Senator
, I
am deeply disappointed. I feel
strongly it's in the best
interests of
Senate District 21 for Mr.
Kettle to
resign his position."
DEMOCRATIC SENATOR GAYLE
GOLDIN TELLING EWN:
"I am furious that Senator
Kettle has
not already resigned. If he does
not
do so, I will certainly vote in
favor of
his expulsion."
Seveney: He has every right to
defend himself and get his day
in
court and all that. While he's
doing,
that I don't believe he can't
represent adequately anybody.
(SM)
AND SENATOR KETTLE
HAS DECLINED TO
COMMENT ON WHETHER
HE WILL RESIGN OVER
THE ALLEGATIONS...HE
HAS DENIED THE
CHARGES.
THE SENATE IS AWAY THIS
WEEK BUT COULD VOTE
TO EXPEL AS EARLY AS
NEXT WEEK...
(SM)
SO WE ASKED EVERY
SENATOR HOW THEY
WOULD VOTE....SO FAR 19
TELL US THEY WOULD
VOTE YES.
ONE IS UNDECIDED
NO SENATORS HAVE TOLD
US THEY WILL VOTE NO
BUT 16 SENATORS HAVE
NOT YET RESPONDED TO
US.
(SM)
COMING UP AT 6....NEW
CONCERNS FROM THE A-
C-L-U ABOUT THE
PROCESS TO EXPEL A
SENATOR...
WHAT THE CIVIL RIGHTS
GROUP IS SAYING TO
SENATORS TONIGHT.
STEPH MACHADO
EYEWITNESS NEWS
(HE)
A FOLLOW-UP NOW ---
...TO THE CHARGES
AGAINST STATE SENATOR
NICHOLAS KETTLE.
(MM)
CALLS ARE GROWING
FOR HIM TO EITHER
RESIGN, OR BE REMOVED
FROM OFFICE.
WE'VE BEEN TRACKING
THE INVESTIGATION INTO
KETTLE FOR WEEKS ---
WHICH LED TO HIS
ARREST LAST FRIDAY ON
CHARGES OF EXTORTION
AND VIDEO VOYEURISM.
(HE)
BUT TONIGHT, THE A-C-L-U
IS PUSHING BACK AGAINST
CALLS TO REMOVE NICK
KETTLE FROM THE
SENATE, IF HE DOESN'T
LEAVE VOLUNTARILY.
(MM)
EYEWITNESS NEWS
REPORTER STEPH
MACHADO EXPLAINS, LIVE
IN STUDIO.
THE STATE LIBRARIAN
SAYS HER TEAM HAS
FOUND NO INSTANCE OF
ANYONE EVER BEING
EXPELLED FROM THE
HOUSE OR SENATE IN
RHODE ISLAND...BUT THE
CONSTITUTION SAYS IT
CAN BE DONE WITH A
TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY
VOTE.
I
will vote to expel
SENATOR JIM SEVENEY IN THE
MAJORITY OF SENATORS WHO
TELL EYEWITNESS NEWS THEY
WILL VOTE TO EXPEL SENATOR
NICHOLAS KETTLE...IF HE DOES
NOT RESIGN HIS SEAT AMID
CRIMINAL CHARGES OF VIDEO
VOYEURISM AND EXTORTION...
Sen. Jim Seveney/D-Portsmouth:
It's beyond the pale. It's just
not to
be tolerated
A GRAND JURY ACCUSING
KETTLE OF EXTORTING A
STUDENT PAGE WORKING FOR
THE SENATE IN AN ATTEMPT TO
HAVE SEX WITH HIM.
SENATE PRESIDENT DOMINICK
RUGGERIO SAYS IF KETTLE
DOESN'T RESIGN, THE SENATE
WILL HOLD A VOTE TO EXPEL
HIM -- AS ALLOWED BY THE
STATE CONSTITUTION WITH A
TWO-THIRDS MAJORITY VOTE.
Steven Brown/ACLU of Rhode
Island: You're talking about
removing a person from an office
they were democratically elected
to
THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF
THE ACLU OF RHODE ISLAND
STEVEN BROWN HAS NOW
SENT A LETTER TO SENATORS
URGING THEM TO TAKE IT
SLOW...
Brown: There just needs to be a
lot
of consideration given to this,
rather
than having a knee-jerk reaction
that
these charges are awful, we need
to
remove this person.
HE SAYS SINCE THE EXPULSION
ARTICLE HAS NEVER BEEN
USED BEFORE...THE SENATE
SHOULD FIRST ADOPT A SET OF
RULES...SO THE PROCESS ISN'T
ABUSED IN THE FUTURE.
Brown: there may be a very
principled reason why the senate
is
acting now to try to initiate
these
expulsion proceedings. But if
you
don't have standards in place
ahead
of time, the door is open for
all sorts
of mischief down the road.
AND SENATORS RETURN
FROM VACATION NEXT
WEEK...
WE HAVE REACHED OUT
TO ALL OF THEM TO ASK
HOW THEY WOULD VOTE
IF AN EXPULSION VOTE IS
HELD...
SO FAR 19 SENATORS TELL
US THEY WOULD VOTE
YES TO EXPEL...THAT
INCLUDES DEMOCRATS
AND SOME REPUBLICANS
ONE SENATOR IS
UNDECIDED...
NO SENATORS HAVE TOLD
US THEY WOULD VOTE
NO..
BUT 16 SENATORS HAVE
NOT RESPONDED TO OUR
INQUIRIES.
SENATOR KETTLE HAS
NOT SAID IF HE WILL
RESIGN...HE DOES DENY
THE CHARGES AGAINST
HIM.
STEPH MACHADO
EYEWITNESS NEWS.