Rhode Island’s first statewide inspector general is now likely to be one of three veteran investigators selected Thursday by the independent commission overseeing the search.
The commission chose David Harper, James Kirdar and Stuart Robinson after interviewing five finalists on Sept. 24. The names go to Gov. Dan McKee, but panel member and Attorney General Peter Neronha said state police background checks should be completed before any appointment. He estimated that process could take six to eight weeks.
Harper has served as inspector general for the U.S. Capitol Police since February 2024. Kirdar is the agency’s assistant inspector general for investigations and previously spent more than 16 years with the U.S. Justice Department’s inspector-general office. Robinson has led investigations for Palm Beach County, Florida’s inspector-general office since 2017 after a 25-year FBI career.
The five-member selection commission brings together Neronha, General Treasurer James Diossa, Secretary of State Gregg Amore, Rhode Island Ethics Commission Executive Director Jason Gramitt and Association of Inspectors General President Will Fletcher. Its composition places the search outside the governor’s office while preserving McKee’s final nomination authority.
A new watchdog with broad reach
The office was created through Rhode Island’s enacted fiscal 2027 budget, which includes a dedicated Inspector General section. The new watchdog will be responsible for identifying fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement across state government. The commission was required to conduct a nationwide search and send three candidates to the governor.
The publicly posted job description says the inspector general will oversee audits and investigations, coordinate with law-enforcement and oversight bodies, and establish an independent office with professional standards. The position carries a five-year term, with eligibility for one reappointment, and an annual salary range of $175,000 to $225,000.
The finalists described different approaches to the office’s subpoena authority and public reporting. Harper favored authority to obtain outside records and, where the law permits, compel testimony. Robinson emphasized public findings when officials refuse to cooperate. Kirdar urged coordination with prosecutors before compelling testimony and said shorter public summaries could protect sensitive information.
What happens next
The commission’s recommendation does not itself install an inspector general. McKee has 90 days to nominate one of the finalists, and the nominee then requires the Rhode Island Senate’s advice and consent. The background-check caveat could slow that timetable, but it also gives the state a formal screening step before launching an office designed to scrutinize other agencies.
The choice will shape more than the office’s first cases. Its inaugural leader must hire staff, define investigative priorities and decide how much information to release when inquiries do not lead to criminal charges. Those early decisions will establish the practical meaning of the new office’s effective independence and transparency mandates.
