Nepotism complaint against Hopkins moves ahead at Ethics Commission. What to know.

CRANSTON – The state Ethics Commission on Tuesday found probable cause to launch a full investigation into complaints of nepotism in city hiring by Mayor Ken Hopkins.

In a 6-to-0 vote, commissioners made an initial determination that, if true, the allegations against Hopkins, a Republican, would be a violation of the state Code of Ethics.

Latest in an already heated race for Cranston mayor

Hopkins is running for reelection this year, and the ethics investigation adds further intrigue to his GOP primary battle with state Rep. Barbara Ann Fenton-Fung – one of the state's most closely watched races in this election year.

"With the launching of a formal investigation of Mayor Hopkins over the serious complaints of nepotism lodged against him, the RI Ethics Commission sent a strong statement to public officials that everyone must be held to the same standard," Fenton-Fung said in an email after the vote.

Background on the complaint

Hopkins said the vote was not surprising, as complaints "regardless of their motive or the substance of their allegations do not need to meet a high threshold for some level of evaluation."

"I reiterate again that as it relates to my son-in-law, I had no direct role in his hiring or promotion within the Cranston Fire Department," he added. "The facts will bear that out as this matter proceeds."

The complaint was filed by John Psilopoulos, an aide to former Mayor Allan Fung, Hopkins' predecessor in City Hall and Fenton-Fung's husband.

It centers on Hopkins' son-in-law Jacob Shackleford, who was hired as a Cranston firefighter in 2021 and promoted to rescue lieutenant earlier this year. Shackleford lives with Hopkins and his daughter Katelyn Shackleford.

Psilopoulos' complaint, which was spurred by Journal reporting on members of the Hopkins family in city jobs, notes that Hopkins never sought an advisory opinion from the Ethics Commission regarding Shackleford's hiring or promotion.

In a formal response to the complaint, Hopkins' attorney, Thomas Dickinson, argues that there was no conflict of interest in Shackleford's hiring because the mayor plays only a "ministerial" role in hiring firefighters.

Shackleford, who was in the Coast Guard before applying for a job in Cranston, was scored against other prospective recruits on an agility test, physical test, oral examinations and personal interviews, Dickinson wrote. He was promoted "strictly based on eligibility and governed by the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the City of Cranston and Local 1363, International Association of Firefighters."

"Decisions on hiring of firefighters or new recruits are made by the chief of the Fire Department, not the mayor," Dickinson wrote in the response. "Although historically a mayor’s signature may appear on administrative paperwork involved in the processing of hiring and promotion, that act is purely ministerial in nature and does not constitute any substantive role in either the hiring or promotion decisions."

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Cranston Mayor Ken Hopkins faces ethics investigation over family ties