Top Rhode Island official out over work misconduct claims

A top Rhode Island official announced his resignation Thursday, closing part of an investigation into accusations of misconduct, including racially and ethnically charged remarks and requests for special treatment, during a business trip to Philadelphia earlier in the year.

The investigation focused on the visit by David Patten to review a state contractor, Scout Ltd., on March 10. Patten served as state director of capital asset management and maintenance in the Department of Administration.

After the trip, Scout officials wrote an email alleging what they described as bizarre and offensive behavior from Patten.

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On Thursday, Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee called for Patten's resignation.

An aide to McKee pointed to a human resources investigation which he said highlighted Patten’s "highly inappropriate conduct, which was disturbing, entirely unacceptable, and not representative of Rhode Island’s values or the integrity of our state workforce."

Patten, through his lawyer Michael Lynch, announced his decision to step down Thursday, effective June 30.

Lynch said in a statement his client's behavior was "the result of a health issue termed an acute stress event — culminating from various events over the past 3 years for which he treated and has been cleared to return to work."

"While a simple apology is never enough, Mr. Patten is apologetic to the citizens of Rhode Island," Lynch added. "He also apologizes to the many individuals in Philadelphia he met with in March and were, unfortunately, recipients of comments that resulted from Mr. Patten suffering this acute stress event."

Patten’s alleged transgressions were detailed in the Scout email released in response to appeals from The Providence Journal and WPRI-TV.

When speaking with a doctor who helped the poor, Patten allegedly asked, "When you go to the bars at night, you must have to swat off the women." The doctor said he was happily married. When Patten pressed him on his heritage, the doctor said he was Jewish, apparently prompting Patten to say "mazel tov" and that he knew Jewish people in Brooklyn, according to the email.

During a visit to a shoe store, Patten was offered sneakers. After receiving the pair, he allegedly said, "Are these made in China? I hope not, because I really hate China," and then directed his attention to a female Asian staff member, saying, "No offense, hun."

The e-mail said Patten pressed other businesses to let him take items for himself.

"Patten at almost every visit insisted on taking something from the tenant home with him, whether that be vegan cheese, hand blown glass or a pair of sneakers," the email read.

Patten had been on paid leave since three days after the trip. As part of his resignation, the state will continue to pay a portion of his health coverage until Sept. 30.

McKee addressed the incident and Patten's resignation with reporters Friday.

"We expect more from our state employees than the behavior that Mr. Patten is now apologizing for in Philadelphia," McKee said. "People who behave in that way, I don’t expect that they are going to be employed by the state of Rhode Island."

McKee said his hands had been tied earlier in the process when the incident was being reviewed by human resources, adding that "the investigation was as thorough and swift as possible."

McKee said the situation began during the March 10 trip to Philadelphia when a report about Patten’s behavior was sent to human resources, prompting the initial investigation.

Two days later, the state received an email from Scout alleging "bizarre, offensive" behavior that was "blatantly sexist, racist and unprofessional."

On March 14, Patten’s access to state computer systems and cell phones was locked.

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"I personally called Scout Management to apologize for the behavior that was being reported," McKee said, adding he also offered to speak with anyone Scout asked him to call as governor to also provide an apology.

In April, McKee said his legal office referred the matter to state police. That investigation is ongoing, he said.

On May 30, Patten's doctor cleared him to return to work. Instead, he was put on paid administrative leave to allow the human resources investigation to continue, according to the governor.

McKee called for Patten's resignation Thursday. Patten announced his resignation and the human resources investigation was suspended.

Patten was making more than $174,000 annually.

Paul McCartney captures The Beatles' 'innocence,' challenges amid rise to fame in never-before-seen photos

Legendary Beatles star Paul McCartney is giving fans a glimpse inside the band’s "innocent" rise to fame in never-before-seen photos. 

During the historic 1964 Beatlemania tour, the iconic band "dominated the world" as the members took the world by storm in their early 20s. 

McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison went on a global tour that spanned over six cities: Liverpool, England; London; Paris; New York; Washington, D.C.; and Miami. 

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Amid their rise to fame, the now 80-year-old McCartney snapped a few camera shots of their adventures which are highlighted in his first photo book, "1964: Eyes of the Storm."

With more than 200 pictures, McCartney takes fans behind the lens through candid photos of himself and his bandmates enjoying a journey of a lifetime.

"It shows when this group… just dominated the world, became a worldwide sensation," "1964: Eyes of the Storm" editor Robert Weil told Fox News Digital. 

Pictures capture an overwhelming number of photographers and fans doing everything they can to snap shots of the famous English rock band.

In one black-and-white photo, crowds are seen in New York chasing down a car with The Beatles inside. McCartney took the picture in the backseat of the car on West 58th Street, crossing the Avenue of Americas, in 1964.

Although the "Hard Day’s Night" singer-songwriters were hounded by paparazzi and fans, Weil noted that The Beatles always "welcomed" the challenges they faced, as they rose to stardom at a young age.

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"There were challenging moments, but in true fashion, they welcomed them. There were tens of thousands of fans pressing everywhere to get to see them, but they never view them as an obstacle. They wanted to… communicate with [fans] as much as possible," Weil pointed out.

In their downtime, McCartney snapped candid photos of his fellow bandmates. 

In a series of photos, Starr is seen smiling and laughing in London, while Harrison accepts a beverage and smokes a cigarette by the pool in Miami. A woman in a yellow bikini hands Harrison, wearing black sunglasses, a drink. 

Weil, who has worked with McCartney for more than 20 years, added that McCartney and The Beatles "completely changed" culture and reminisced on how his lasting legacy will carry on. 

"Paul McCartney is going to last 100 years. He was one of the great ballad writers, balladeers of the 20th century with all his love songs," Weil told Fox News Digital. 

"He's a deep artist and writer. And this book, with all of its photos… just shows another side of him which is going to last well into time… more than any other group of the 20th century."

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Weil, who described McCartney as "one of the nicest human beings you will ever encounter," said the legendary musician doesn't show signs of slowing down. 

"Who knows, he may go on tour again at 80," said Weil.

McCartney discussed his photo book during the Tribeca Film Festival and detailed the mostly unseen photos as the Beatles became international stars. 

"What I love about [these photos] is the innocence," McCartney said during the film event on Thursday.

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"We didn’t know we were going to [become] famous. We really wanted to be [famous], but we didn’t know."

During his candid discussion with Conan O'Brien, McCartney revealed that his fellow band member Lennon "had a really tragic life."

"[John] had a really tragic life," McCartney said. "As a kid, his mother was decreed to not be good enough to bring him up… His father had left the home when John was 3. So that’s not too wonderful. John grew up with these, sort of, little minor tragedies throughout his life." 

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WATCH: PAUL MCCARTNEY SAYS JOHN LENNON "HAD A TRAGIC LIFE" (video credit: Pop Nation/TMX)

McCartney continued, "It made me realize why he had that vulnerability. I always admired the way he dealt with it because I’m not sure I would deal with the stuff he went through that well." 

Weil told Fox News Digital what he wants readers to take away from McCartney’s photo book.

"I want [readers]… to see how photographs can change people's lives and… to understand that through The Beatles, the world became modern and the world changed," he said.

The Beatles were considered the most influential band in the 1960s and officially disbanded in 1970. Starr is the only other surviving Beatles member besides McCartney. 

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