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PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Republican Senator Francis T. Maher Jr. of Exeter wants it known that he had nothing to do with the introduction of legislation to have the state pay Charlene Pysz, the wife of the human-resources administrator for the state Department of Transportation, $1,886.58 for damage to her car in a state garage.
Maher is listed, by name, as the senator connected to two of the eight claims for state reimbursement in the legislation known as "S1061'' that cleared the General Assembly in its final hours last week.
A second claim attached to Maher's name seeks $237.83 for Benjamin J. Reddish III, of Corey Trail, in Wyoming, for damage to his vehicle when it "struck a roadway defect at or near the Route 95 South on-ramp at or near the Providence Place Mall'' in July 2010.
Maher does not dispute his role in seeking payment for Reddish's claim.And none of the other senators named within the legislation have tried, as he has, to disassociate themselves from any part of it.
But Maher demanded a "retraction'' of a June 27 Political Scene item that cited his connection, in the legislation, to the Pysz bid for reimbursement for damage done to the family car while it "parked in the Department of Administration garage at or near One Capitol Hill on or about November 23, 2010.''
"I never introduced a claim on behalf of Charlene E.S. Pysz, the wife of Department of Transportation human-resources administrator Paul Pysz. I happened to be at the West Greenwich Town Hall this past spring when Ms. Pysz was filing a police report about the damage to her vehicle. The officer on duty introduced me to her and I told her if she had any questions, she could contact me regarding her claim. That was the last I heard of it.
"It just so happens that it was another senator who requested that her claim be part the annual omnibus bill that addresses reimbursements for claims against the state. He found it quite amusing that I was portrayed as the senator who arranged for the reimbursement,'' Maher wrote in one in a series of e-mails.
Maher would not name the other senator to whom he referred, and it took Senate communications director Greg Pare several days to untangle why Maher's name was listed in the legislation in connection with the Pysz claim.
But on Wednesday, Pare provided this explanation: "Sen. Maher is listed on the bill because he is the senator who represents Ms. Pysz. He did not submit the claim. Traditionally, the senator who represents the claimant is listed on the legislation. The claim came from the Department of Transportation.''
As to how Mrs. Pysz's car got damaged in a state garage, DOT spokeswoman Dana Nolfe late last month provided this explanation: "This car is registered to Charlene Pysz, but is driven daily to work by Paul Pysz, RIDOT's HR Administrator. The vehicle was keyed two times over a three-day time period. ''
Asked if anyone had been held responsible, she said: "The perpetrator has not been caught."
In response to further questions, Nolfe said Pysz did not file an insurance claim for the damage. Asked why not, she said: "These were multiple acts of deliberate malicious vandalism directed specifically at him in his position as HR Administrator. He therefore chose this claim path.''
