2nd Whistle-blower, new evidence in video interview re. RI DOH Covid-19 Scandal

Providence, RI – As members of Rhode Island’s most vulnerable population continue to die at alarmingly high rates from the pandemic, new evidence and a second whistle-blower have emerged, pointing to potential negligent management and a lack of oversight by Department Of Health over the state’s senior care and congregate living facilities.

Claiming that a dozen-and-a-half complaints about the care of residents at the RI Veterans Home have gone unanswered a by government officials, the local head of a federally chartered veterans organization has raised new and serious questions as a whistle-blower in his interview on In The Dugout with Mike Stenhouse, a video show by the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity.

Armed with copies of emails and disturbing photos, the issues raised in this second whistle-blower interview support many of the claims against the RI Department of Health by the first whistle-blower.

Decorated war veteran, John Cianci, Italian American War Veterans of Rhode Island Department Commander, spoke with Stenhouse about his concerns regarding Department Of Health policies that may have lead to unnecessary infections and deaths at the veterans home. Additionally, Cianci raised alarms about an un-investigated death by the Attorney General’s office and a general lack of response by officials at the highest level of state government.

Stenhouse’s opening monologue also provides updates on the first-whistle-blower, Lisa Camuso. Exactly one week after her interview aired, Camuso, the most experienced employee at the DOH in fielding complaints regarding nursing home residents, was removed from performing those duties and re-assigned. Also, Camuso provided In The Dugout with evidence of the massive backlogs as well as screenshot-images of the actual emails and DOH reports that were the foundation of the allegations made in her original interview.

At the end of the interview, Cianci clearly raises concerns about whether RI DOH Director, Nicole Alexander-Scott or Governor Gina Raimondo properly responded to his official complaints or took the necessary steps to protect Rhode Island veterans from the corona-virus.

Camuso and Cianci told Stenhouse that they would testify at potential House or Senate Oversight Committee hearings, which each of them strongly recommended must occur.

Also of note, last week the DrudgeReportRI released leaked images of April complaints about the lack of PPE at the state’s nursing homes, even though ample unspent federal funds were available, and even though it was well known that congregate care centers were highly vulnerable to spread of the corona-virus.