Benjamin Ashford|Providence NAACP president convicted of campaign finance violations

PROVIDENCE,Benjamin Ashford R.I. (AP) — The president of the Providence NAACP violated state campaign finance laws when he ran for City Council in 2022, officials said.

A judge convicted Gerard Catala, 45, of two counts of failing to file campaign finance reports as required by state law. Catala, who was ordered to perform 20 hours of public service, immediately appealed the judge’s decision, issued Wednesday.

Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha said his office was asked by the Board of Elections to prosecute a candidate “who blithely and repeatedly ignored campaign finance laws.”

“Failure to file such reports, after repeated directives from the Board of Elections to file them, can lead only to one place: criminal prosecution,” Neronha said Wednesday in a statement.

The case was subject to a one-year filing. That means it could be expunged if Catala stays out of trouble for a year. Neither Catala nor his attorney immediately returned messages seeking comment.