Cranston City Council President and Attorney Resign in Public Display

Not unexpected, and with a sense of inevitability that many thought would have prompted the parties involved to handle the building conflict quietly, sparing themselves, the Council and the City public embarassment, both the Council President, Jessica Marino and Council attorney, Stephen Angell resigned – Marino effective immediately, Angell effective at the end of September.

The issue that brought the resignations was the question of conflict of interest and/or ethics violation or compromise for the Council due to an open and public admitted romantic relationship between the two. As President, Marino is responsible for approving business contracts with Angell’s firm, and that presented the most public example.

After a series of executive session special Council meetings, last night there was yet another, and then a pair of statements made in open session – first from Angell and then from Marino. Neither addressed the ‘elephant in the room’ and the ultimate cause for the resignations – the personal relationship – instead opting to blame the Mayor’s administration, the vitriol of social media, political maneuverings, and Marino added her being a woman as examples of adversity faced.

Scroll to 1:05 in the YouTube video to view the public statements of Marino and Angell:

Scroll to 1:05 in the YouTube video to view the public statements of Marino and Angell

Both denied any wrong doings. Applause could be heard in the room at the resignations, particularly when Angell ended his presentation.

NBC10 reported that Angell untaped their station microphone from the dias area and let it drop to the floor, in what they referred to as a “shocking” moment, cutting their feed.

Councilman Dan Wall becomes President. The City Council appoints a new Councilperson to complete Marino’s term of office. The next election will be in 2026.

A few weeks earlier Mayor Hopkins revealed that Councilman Capobianco told him he had been physically threatened by Angell with a baseball bat to the neck, if he compromised his relationship with Marino, with whom he said he was in love with. Hopkins later revealed that publicly and asked Police Chief Winquist to look into it.

The Cranston City Council adds this to an escalating series of public disgrace going back years based in the confrontational relationship between a Democratic controlled Council and a Republic Mayor and administration. Many attribute the long delays in the building of the Budlong Pool to delays caused by constant public meetings called by the Council with over a dozen having been held – and another coming up on the placement of the new Splash Pad planned for the city.

The last article reporting on the Council is HERE:

https://2×8.ea2.myftpupload.com/romance-on-the-agenda-at-cranston-city-council-public-needs-to-know-says-councilman-campopiano/