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.
John V. Chambers is a candidate for the Maine House of Representatives. He was required to file the 42-Day Post-Primary Report on July 26, 2022. His treasurer, David Burns, filed the report one day late. The preliminary penalty for the late report is $34.90. Mr. Burns is requesting a waiver of the penalty, because he made a good-faith attempt at filing the report and believed he had been successful. Staff recommendation: the Commission staff does not recommend waiving the $34.90 penalty.
Decided: To not waive the fine for late filing. (vote 5-0)
Benjamin Meiklejohn was a candidate in the special election for Senate district 7. He was required to file the 42-Day Post-Election Report on July 26, 2022. He filed the report one day late. The preliminary penalty for the late report is $18.03. Mr. Meiklejohn is requesting a waiver of the penalty because he tried to file the report using his cell phone near the deadline but encountered technical difficulties. Staff recommendation: the Commission staff does not recommend waiving the $18.03 penalty.
Decided: To not waive the fine for late filing. (vote 5-0)
Senator Troy Jackson ran for State Senate in District 1 in the 2020 general election. He was required to disclose a $1,250 expenditure in a 24-Hour Report by October 27, 2020. He entered the transaction in the Commission’s eFiling system on Oct. 27. He believed he had filed the report, but it was not filed until two days later by his deputy treasurer. The preliminary penalty for filing the report two days late is $50. Sen. Jackson requested a waiver because he attempted to file the report, and because an erroneous email notice by the Commission’s eFiling system four days earlier caused confusion when Sen. Jackson was communicating with his deputy treasurer. Staff recommendation: the Commissi…
Decided: To not waive the preliminary penalty of $50 (vote 5-0)
On October 26, 2020, the Mainers for Health and Parental Rights PAC made an expenditure of $1,000 as a contribution to the Maine Prosperity Alliance PAC. It was required to report this expenditure in a 24-Hour Report by October 27, 2020 but did not do so until December 15, 2020. The PAC requested a waiver of the $980 preliminary penalty. Staff recommendation: the Commission staff recommended reducing the penalty to $750.
Decided: To accept the late-filed waiver request and consider it on its merits (vote 5-0)
Jeffrey Pierce is a candidate for the Maine House of Representatives. He was required to file the 42-Day Pre-General Report on September 22, 2020. His campaign filed the report one day late. The preliminary penalty for the late report is $40.37. Mr. Pierce’s campaign is requesting a waiver because of his treasurer’s confusion in interpreting automated email notifications from the Commission’s e-filing system.
Decided: To support the staff recommendation to not waive the statutorily calculated penalty of $40.37 (vote 5-0)
Decided: Find that the 11-Day Pre-Primary report was filed four days late but defer consideration of a penalty until Mr. Gerzofsy has had an opportunity to request a waiver of the late-filed report penalty. (vote 3-0)