Priya Patel
Summary
TLDR:
- Gerard Catala, President of the Providence NAACP, convicted of criminal campaign finance charges
- Convicted of not turning in required campaign finance reports during his 2022 City Council run
Nancy Lavin’s article reports that Gerard Catala, the leader of the Providence NAACP, was convicted on criminal misdemeanor charges for failing to comply with state campaign finance reporting requirements. Judge Anthony Capraro found Catala guilty of two counts of not submitting required campaign finance reports during his 2022 City Council campaign. As a result, Catala was ordered to serve 20 hours of community service and the case will be dismissed if he avoids legal troubles for one year.
Catala, elected as the head of the Providence NAACP in 2022, had previously run for the City Council three times but failed to meet campaign finance reporting deadlines, revealing discrepancies in donations and debts. Following an audit in 2022, Catala’s campaign books were handed over to the Attorney General’s office and the State Police. Despite the conviction, Catala has appealed the verdict to the Rhode Island Supreme Court.
Previously, Catala faced assault charges that were eventually dropped due to the victim’s unavailability. Jim Vincent, the former head of the Providence NAACP, expressed sadness over Catala’s conviction and its impact on the organization’s reputation. As the leadership role in the NAACP is up for election in November, Vincent remains uncertain about seeking re-election.
