McKendall Explains Late Campaign Finance Filing

The Oct. 9 filing deadline for Rhode Island political candidates to submit their pre-election campaign finance reports came and went with only one missing report from North Kingstown. , was the lone North Kingstown candidate who failed to file her reports (disclosing campaign contributions and spending) by the deadline.

McKendall's opponent, incumbent Sen. James Sheehan, issued a press release the following week calling on McKendall to release the information.

"Disclosure of a candidate's donors is an essential part of transparency and accountability in government," said Sheehan. "The public has the right to know who is supporting Mrs. McKendall's campaign, especially as a new candidate, in order to help them make informed decisions at election time. All candidates must respect the right of voters' right to know."

McKendall, who filed her report this week with the Secretary of State's office, said the late filing wasn't an effort to hide her campaign information. According to McKendall, she and her staff misread the deadline information. McKendall found out she had missed the deadline when a local newspaper, the NorthEast Independent, called her to inquire about the late reports.

"I guess it's a rookie mistake, but I'll never make that mistake again," said McKendall. "The buck stops with me and it was my responsibility."

Check back with North Kingstown Patch for our breakdown of this year's campaign finance reports for North Kingstown candidates.