Rhode Island Democratic Party chair Liz Beretta-Perik resigns after husband's fraud indictment
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The gist
Rhode Island Democratic Party chairwoman Liz Beretta-Perik resigned after her husband was indicted over about $20 million in diverted federal aid funds.
The resignation lands two weeks before the Nov.
Background
Liz Beretta-Perik is the chairwoman of the Rhode Island Democratic Party, elected in 2023 as the first woman to hold the position; she is not named in the indictment and is not charged with a crime. Her husband, Michael Perik, was indicted in Jefferson County Common Pleas Court in Ohio along with business partner Nicole Rowe Colclasure and college president/CFO Michael Geoghegan over the alleged diversion of financial aid funds from Eastern Gateway Community College in Steubenville, Ohio. The resignation came as early voting was already under way ahead of Rhode Island's Nov. 3 general election, and after both the Democratic and Republican nominees for governor had urged her to step aside.
How it unfolded
- Oct 7, 2026An indictment is filed in Jefferson County Common Pleas Court charging Michael Perik, business partner Nicole Rowe Colclasure and college president/CFO Michael Geoghegan over alleged diversion of financial aid funds from Eastern Gateway Community College in Steubenville, Ohio.
- Oct 20, 2026Rhode Island Democratic Party Chairwoman Liz Beretta-Perik resigns effective the same day, after her husband was indicted on charges of stealing approximately $20 million in Pell grants and other federal and state subsidies.
- Nov 3, 2026Rhode Island's general election date; early voting was already under way at the time of the resignation.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Beretta-Perik announced her resignation in a brief statement: "I am resigning effective today as Chair of the Rhode Island Democratic Party. Thank you."
- Party
- Democratic gubernatorial nominee Helena Buonanno Foulkes called the allegations "serious and concerning" and said that, with weeks to a pivotal election, Beretta-Perik "should step aside at this time."
- Caution
- Republican gubernatorial nominee Aaron Guckian called the matter "an enormous scandal," said the Democratic Party cannot pretend it's business as usual, and framed his call for her to step down as about restoring public confidence rather than assigning guilt by association.
- Party
- Independent gubernatorial candidate Ken Block said he would "leave it to the Democrats to sort out their own mess" and "let the indictment speak for itself."
Still unverified
Michael Perik's attorney denies any crime, calling the charges "purely political payback."