http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...n-sentence.html

This is a major development in national politics....

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Cianci served six terms as the mayor of Providence, Rhode Island

He is often given credit for the city's rise as a cultural hub

Cianci's first felony conviction was for assault after he beat a man with a log and a lit cigarette

His second conviction was related to wide-spread corruption in his administration

Cianci served nearly five years in prison for the corruption charges


Buddy Cianci, the twice-convicted felon who led Providence as mayor for 21 years, wants his old job back.

Cianci said Wednesday that he is running as an independent for a seventh term as mayor. The last time he won an election was 16 years ago — before he was convicted in 2002 of racketeering conspiracy for widespread corruption in his administration. He spent 4 ½ years in prison.

Cianci, 73, said he is not seeking redemption, but wishes to bring his experience and vision to the city to make a difference. He said Providence can't afford to have a mayor who is getting 'on-the-job training.'

Making an announcement on his radio show, Cianci said that many people would call this an eleventh-hour decision, but that he decided to join the field after much soul-searching and reflection. He said he wants to rekindle the city's 'renaissance.'

'If the people don't want me, they don't have to vote for me. I realize I have baggage,' he said during a break in his show. 'They know who I am. They know what I am. And they know what I've accomplished.'

Cianci's announcement came shortly before the 4 p.m. filing deadline; a surrogate filed his paperwork for him at City Hall. He will take a leave from the show and from his duties as a local television commentator during the campaign.

Cianci previously won office as a Republican and independent.

Cianci mounted his first campaign in 1974 and never lost an election. But he was forced to resign in 1984, after he was convicted of using a fireplace log and lit cigarette to assault a man he believed was having an affair with his estranged wife. Six years after that conviction, in 1990, he ran for mayor again and won.

His second stint as mayor, known around town as Buddy II, came to an end in 2002 when he was convicted as part of a federal investigation into corruption in City Hall, called Operation Plunderdome by the FBI. Several other members of his administration were also convicted.

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