What the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices took up at its meetings since 2019: late-filing penalties and requests to waive them, complaints and requests to investigate, audits, and what it decided, as its meeting pages record them. A complaint is an allegation; the decision is the Commission's. Items naming someone on this site are also on their page.
Sent for investigation · 17 items · show all, by kind
Campaign Finance Reporting by State Rep. Richard Campbell
Commission staff suggest obtaining bank statements for the 2022 and 2024 election campaigns of State Representative Richard Campbell in light of conflicting campaign finance reporting about the amount of the Representative’s 2024 surplus campaign funds.
Decided: To authorize the staff to investigate the matter. (vote 4-0)
Request to Investigate Robert Charles regarding midgeleyexposed.com
The campaign of Republican gubernatorial candidate Ben Midgley requests the Commission investigate whether his primary election opponent, Robert “Bobby” Charles, is responsible for an anonymous website attacking Mr. Midgley. Additional Materials - Response by Bobby Charles Additional Materials - Response to Bobby Charles
Decided: To open an investigation into midgelyexposed.com to determine who financed it, and based on that, whether or not the website should have had a different disclosure statement. (vote 4-0)
Proposed Investigation – Potential Coordinated Spending
In the course of assisting a party committee with campaign finance reporting, the Commission staff received preliminary information indicating the party committee may have made an expenditure to rebroadcast some paid radio messages of several 2024 legislative candidates. The Commission staff proposes gathering more information through an investigation to determine if any contributions received by the candidates complied with legal requirements and (if not) whether the noncompliance was inadvertent or intentional.
Decided: To authorize staff to investigate the matter (vote 3-0 (Commissioner LeClaire abstained))
Complaint Alleging Coordinated Expenditure by Maine Senate Republican PAC
In mid-October 2024, the Maine Senate Republican PAC sent a postcard mailing in support of State Senate candidate Richard Bradstreet, who is running as a Maine Clean Election Act (MCEA) candidate. The Commission received a complaint that the mailing is an illegal contribution that violates MCEA requirements because the PAC cooperated on the mailing with the candidate’s treasurer.
Decided: To ask the staff to investigate the issue (vote 5-0)
Complaint – Referendum in Boothbay and Boothbay Harbor
Due to a 2023 law change, persons raising or spending more than $5,000 to influence a municipal ballot question in a town or city with a population of less than 15,000 must register with the Commission as a ballot question committee and file campaign finance reports. In the last two months, print and digital advertisements in the Boothbay Register have promoted a “yes” vote on an April 24, 2024 school construction referendum. The advertisements indicate they were paid for by “Citizens for a Bright Future for the Boothbay Region.” No one has registered with the Commission under that name. Also, commercially printed road signs without any disclaimer have been distributed. The Commission staff …
Decided: To authorize the Commission staff to conduct an investigation of this complaint. (vote 4-0)
Complaint about Flyer in House District 52
Ms. Jennifer Small has requested that the Commission investigate a flyer distributed within House District 52 in October 2022 that was critical of the Democratic nominee, Sally Cluchey. Staff recommendation: Commission staff recommends an investigation.
Decided: To have the Commission conduct an investigation into the matter. (vote 5-0)
Legal Objections to Subpoena for Documents – Investigation of Stop the Corridor
The Commission will consider whether to adopt a written determination proposed by staff documenting the Commission’s decision at its June 18, 2021 meeting concerning a request to modify an investigative subpoena to produce records.
Decided: To adopt the written determination proposed by staff documenting the Commission’s decision made at its June 18, 2021 meeting concerning a request to modify an investigative subpoena to produce records. (vote No vote held.)
Potential Investigation of Working Families PAC
The Working Families PAC is a committee formed by former State Representative Diane Russell. Ms. Russell has been filing campaign finance reports on behalf of the PAC during 2020 but did not file two campaign finance reports due in October, and has been unresponsive to email communications, phone calls, and letters mailed to her residence. The PAC’s treasurer, who resigned in September 2020, believes that the PAC’s actual cash balance was consistently less than the calculated balance shown on the cover page of PAC reports.
Decided: To authorize the Ethics Commission staff to review the transactions on the account and to investigate the failure to have a current address for the principal officer, failure to have a current treasurer for the PAC, and the failure to file various financial reports required under law for this PAC. (vote 5-0)
Complaint - Statement of Sources of Income by Rep. John L. Martin
Kevin Bushey of Ashland, Maine filed a complaint questioning whether Rep. John L. Martin misstated his position at the University of Maine at Fort Kent in his 2019 Statement of Sources of Income. Rep. Martin has responded that he correctly identified his job title as Assistant Professor of Political Science.
Decided: There was insufficient evidence to investigate this complaint further. (vote 5-0)
Update – Surveys in Maine Senate District 13
Two political action committees organized by the Republican caucus of the Maine Senate were responsible for the surveys of Senate District 13 voters discussed at the Commission’s September 30 meeting. The PACs assert the surveys were part of a telephone research polling intended to measure public opinion. The Commission will discuss next steps in the enforcement matter. Amended Motion: That the Ethics Commission staff proceed with the investigation of the complaint that the Commission had a preliminary hearing on two weeks ago, as the staff deems fit, with the ability to ask for further guidance from the Commission, as may be necessary, and, preliminarily, confidential information obtained b…
Decided: That the Ethics Commission staff proceed with the investigation of the complaint that the Commission had a preliminary hearing on two weeks ago, as the staff deems fit, with the ability to ask for further guidance from the Commission, as may be necessary
Complaint – Facebook Ad by Maine Prosperity Alliance PAC
The Lincoln County Democratic Committee has complained that a Facebook ad by the Maine Prosperity Alliance PAC should be viewed as an illegal contribution to Sen. Dana Dow because he participated in the video used in the PAC’s ad. The Maine Prosperity Alliance PAC responded that it used video footage of Sen. Dow that was available on a publicly available website. Sen. Dow responded that he did not coordinate with the PAC on the ad.
Decided: That further investigation of this complaint be conducted by Commission staff (vote 1-4 (Mr. Marble in favor; Mr. Lee, Mr. Hastings, Ms. Lowry and Mr. Schneider opposed))
Complaint re: Telephone Calls and Text Messages in State Senate, District 13
The Lincoln County Democratic Committee requests that the Commission investigate telephone calls and text messages financed by an unknown source intended to influence the race in State Senate District 13 between Sen. Dana L. Dow and Rep. Chloe S. Maxmin. The committee argues the paid calls should have included a disclaimer statement and other disclosures required of a push poll and may require the filing of an independent expenditure report. Staff recommendation: the Commission staff recommended authorizing the staff to conduct an investigation.
Decided: To find there are sufficient grounds to conduct an investigation and that an investigation be conducted as recommended on page 11 of the Commission staff report. (vote 5-0)
Request to Investigate Vaccinate Your Family: Every Child by Two
Ms. Cara Sacks submitted a request for the Maine Ethics Commission to investigate two digital advertisements paid for by Vaccinate Your Family that did not include the name and address of the person who financed the advertisement. The Commission staff also inquired into whether Vaccinate Your Family qualified as a ballot question committee. Vaccinate Your Family responds that the ads were not intended to influence an election but were consistent with its primary purpose of providing accurate information about vaccinations.
Decided: Adopt the staff recommendation to not investigate this matter. (vote 3-0)
Request to Investigate Polling by Collins for Senate
Mr. John Jamieson has filed a complaint alleging that in 2017 U.S. Senator Susan Collins violated Maine Election Law by receiving polling services from her federal campaign committee for the purpose of deciding whether to run for Governor that exceeded the $1,600 limitation applicable for the 2018 election cycle. Sen. Collins responds that her committee’s expenditures for the polling were for a federal campaign purpose and she did not violate Maine law.
Decided: Adopt the Commission staff recommendation against conducting an investigation for the reasons stated on page 5 of the Commission staff memo. (vote 3-0)
Investigation of Stop the Corridor
At its March 10, 2020 meeting, the Commission directed its staff to investigate whether Stop the Corridor qualified as a political action committee, in light of its involvement in petitioning for a citizen initiative to reject the New England Clean Energy Connect transmission project. Following that meeting, the Commission received preliminary information and documents from legal counsel for Stop the Corridor. The Commission staff seeks guidance from the Commission concerning the scope and procedures for the investigation.
Decided: That the Commission staff should engage in an investigation to gain an understanding of the broad range of Stop the Corridor’s financial activities and the purposes of those activities that not only includes Stop the Corridor’s petitioning costs but also its spending on television, other paid communications, polling and payments to allies. (vote 3-0)
Request to Investigate Stop the Corridor
Stop the Corridor is one of the associations opposing the New England Clean Energy Connect (NECEC) transmission project. Clean Energy Matters (supporting the NECEC) requests the Commission investigate whether Stop the Corridor was required to register with the Commission and file campaign finance reports as a political action committee (PAC). Made by: Mr. Lee Seconded by: Mr. Nass Vote: 2-1 (Ms. Lowry opposed)
Decided: That the staff conduct an investigation to determine whether or not Stop the Corridor qualified as a PAC and had an obligation to register and report as a PAC because sufficient evidence has been presented to suggest that the major purpose of Stop the Corridor became to initiate or influence a campaign.
Request to Investigate Say No to NECEC
Say No to NECEC is a nonprofit corporation formed to oppose the NECEC. Clean Energy Matters requests the Commission investigate whether Say No to NECEC was required to register as a PAC.
Decided: That there is not sufficient evidence to proceed with an investigation into this matter. (vote 3-0)
From the Commission's meeting pages (maine.gov/ethics/meetings). Housekeeping (minutes, rulemaking, legislation) is left out.