Gearing up for Providence mayoral run, Smiley announces plans to leave state job Published Wed Feb 10 2021 21:41:45 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time) by Ian Donnis Brett Smiley, who is gearing up for his second run for mayor of Providence, announced Wednesday that will step down as director of the state Department of Administration when Gov. Gina Raimondo is confirmed as U.S. Commerce secretary. At the same time, the state GOP said it has filed an ethics complaint against him. “As you know, I believe deeply that public service is critically important work, but this past year in particular, the work you have done has saved jobs, businesses, and most importantly, lives,” Smiley wrote in a letter to state employees. “Thank you for your professionalism and commitment. You have been a constant source of inspiration to me and I am forever grateful for the passion you put forth every day to push Rhode Island government to be its best.”