Before the Ethics Commission (2023-02-28): Complaint against Robert Sezak
Rep. Shelley Rudnicki filed a complaint alleging her 2022 general election opponent, Robert Sezak, paid $7,341 to a vendor for four mailings that were never sent. She suggests the vendor used Mr. Sezak’s funds for communications in other legislative districts. In response, Mr. Sezak and the vendor provided statements from the U.S. Postal Service documenting its receipt of four mailings of 2,250 pieces and samples of actual mail received within Mr. Sezak’s district. Staff recommendation: the staff recommends taking no further action on this matter. The motion: “To take no further action on the complaint as there are no grounds to show that a violation occurred.” Vote: 5-0.
What to check
- What the Commission decided, in the motion and the minutes
- A complaint is an allegation, not a finding
The Commission's meeting of 2023-02-28The staff memo
Rule: A complaint or other matter before the Ethics Commission
“The commission shall review the application and shall make the investigation if the reasons stated for the request show sufficient grounds for believing that a violation may have occurred.”21-A MRSA §1003(2) ✓ quoted from the saved copy · how this rule works