By Steve Klamkin WPRO News
Governor Dan McKee says discussions over the past few days led to the announcement Monday that his embattled chief of staff would retire from state service, effective immediately, following a growing controversy over whether Anthony Silva improperly tried to influence development of wetlands property.
In a statement, McKee said he and Silva “reached a mutual agreement that it is in the best interest of the Administration for him to retire from State government effective immediately,” with Silva’s Deputy, Antonio Afonso, Jr. assuming the chief of staff role.
“We recognize the amount of distraction that’s going on right now, it’s clear, all you have to do is look at the newspapers, listen to any of the media,” McKee said after a ceremonial bill-signing event in East Providence Monday morning.
“Tony is professional, he understands that distraction can’t get in the way of us recovering on the COVID, keeping people healthy, you know, keeping our economy going,” McKee said.
“Like I said before, I stand by the fact that I don’t expect anything that’s going to be of an illegal nature with what Tony has done,” McKee said, when asked if he’d learned anything new about the handling of a wetlands permit Silva had sought for a property he owned in Cumberland, or of an independent investigation by Attorney General Peter Neronha, which McKee requested last week.
Silva’s discussions with Cumberland Mayor Jeffrey Mutter about the wetlands issue were at the center of an ethics complaint filed last week by the Rhode Island Republican Party. The GOP claimed Silva failed to properly disclose his financial interest in the property. Silva later transferred the property to his son.
McKee dismissed questions about Silva’s additional role as deputy director of emergency management for the town of Cumberland, from which he resigned last week, and other pension and outside work.
“Look, we get the work done, and I look at results and anywhere where I’ve worked with the chief we’ve got results. And so, that’s what I look for in the people that work with me. And I have a great deal of pride in the face that people that work with me do their job and Tony’s no different. He got the work done on every level,” McKee said.
