A judge fined Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch $5,000 and held him in civil contempt after he publicly accused former lead paint makers of twisting the facts during the state’s landmark lawsuit against the companies, according to newly unsealed court documents.
In a ruling dated Dec. 6, Superior Court Judge Michael Silverstein said Lynch’s remarks violated rules of court conduct regulating what lawyers may say publicly about cases. The judge weeks earlier had issued a written ruling ordering Lynch to comply with the rules of professional conduct.
