Ethics panel orders anti-tax group to file campaign reports
10/2/09 | 17 comments

Ethics panel orders anti-tax group to file campaign reports


By Kevin Miller
BDN Staff

AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine Ethics Commission ruled Thursday that the conservative public policy organization Maine Leads should have filed financial disclosure reports related to anti-tax referendum campaigns.

But the commission disagreed with Maine Leads’ critics who had said the nonprofit organization violated other campaign finance laws by focusing on anti-tax ballot measures.

Maine Leads was created in the fall of 2007 to help strengthen the effectiveness of the conservative base in Maine, according to the group’s executive director, Roy Lenardson. Soon after its creation, Maine Leads provided $25,000 in seed money to two political action committees, or PACs, working to reduce the excise tax and to pass the Taxpayers Bill of Rights II.

Additionally, Maine Leads gave $160,500 to a firm to gather the signatures needed to trigger a statewide vote on those tax measures and a third unsuccessful ballot question dealing with health care. Mainers will cast votes on TABOR II and the excise tax ballot measure on Nov. 3.

Former state lawmaker Deborah Hutton of Bowdoinham filed a formal complaint with the ethics commission suggesting that Maine Leads was actually a PAC rather than a nonprofit. But because Maine Leads never registered as a PAC, the organization was able to hide from the public the identity of the groups financing the campaigns, Hutton said.

On Thursday, the commission ruled that, under the rules in place at the time, Maine Leads was not required to register as a PAC because its primary purpose did not appear to be initiating or promoting the ballot measures. Roughly 54 percent of Maine Leads’ spending went to the ballot initiatives.

Commissioners and staff said they would prefer to have more history to determine the major purpose of an organization.

“In one election cycle, it may be a ballot question that is the overriding focus of that organization. In another election cycle, it might be education,” said Michael Friedman, the commission’s chairman.

But the commission ruled that Maine Leads should have filed campaign finance reports in 2007, 2008 and early 2009 as a “ballot question committee.” That would have required Maine Leads to identify the source and purpose of any donations in excess of $100.

The commission gave Maine Leads two weeks to file reports dating back to January 2008. Maine Leads’ attorney, Dan Billings, said the organization did not have any objections to filing the reports.

Benjamin Grant, an attorney for Hutton, did not object to the commission’s finding because it still required Maine Leads to file campaign reports.

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Comments
17 comments on this item
On 10/1/09 at 11:56 PM, captainandy wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Anti-Tax Group?

Must shut them down at all COSTS!

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On 10/2/09 at 12:00 AM, captainandy wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Any chance "Former state lawmaker Deborah Hutton of Bowdoinham" has a (D) after her name?

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On 10/2/09 at 4:23 AM, poormainiac wrote: Click here to view hidden comment         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden
On 10/2/09 at 5:54 AM, anonon wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Finally it is being investigated,,, LOl,,,,

VOTING NO ON 1

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On 10/2/09 at 6:04 AM, harley07 wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Starve the beast!!!!!

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On 10/2/09 at 7:33 AM, schoonerdog wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Why is there not much transparency on the pro-tax side??

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On 10/2/09 at 7:35 AM, anonon wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

VOTE NO ON 1

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On 10/2/09 at 8:16 AM, Beelzebubba wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

YES on #4!!

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On 10/2/09 at 9:56 AM, limlib wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

PROTECT THE CHILDREN OF MAINE, VOTE YES

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On 10/2/09 at 10:20 AM, anonon wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

limlib:

What are your protecting the maine children from?

There are several children living in same sex families.

What we need to do is protect children from idiot biggotry that you and others share. My children are fine with my life as a same sex partner.

Stay out of our lives and business.

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On 10/2/09 at 10:28 AM, Tikitorch wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

The only reason they are looking into the ANTI_TABOR group is because they are threatened by them... If they posed no threat they wouldn't pull these cheap tatics!!! NOOOO TABOR!!!! NOOOOOO

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On 10/2/09 at 10:57 AM, anonon wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

It’s the people against same sex marriage that are desperate or else they wouldn't be using illegal funs,, illegal signatures and smearing hate and lies in their campaigns. Marry your sheep, cousin, brother, sister,,, all of you people that believe that are really mentally challenged,,, don't believe anything that they say,, VOTE NO ON 1 DON"T FOLLOW THE LIES.

There are so many children out there in this world who live with same sex couples,, we can either save them from lies ,ridicule, and hate or you can believe the opposing side and by that you will be creating more hate against the children of same sex couples. No children should be ridiculed, hated, or shunned for having two of the same sex ,loving them, providing a loving home and ,giving them a future to be proud of. VOTE NO ON QUESTION 1

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On 10/2/09 at 12:46 PM, freemaine wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

This seems as good a place as any to post this link, since the BDN probably will never report it:

MAINE FINES GROUP FOR CRITICIZING ISLAM.

A Christian organization in Maine has filed a lawsuit to challenge a bureaucratic decision to impose a $4,000 fine for its "criticism" of Islam, expressed in a mailing to supporters.

The action was taken on behalf of the Christian Action Network by Liberty Counsel, where founder Mathew Staver said the state is out of line.

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=111630

Hey, Mainers - just turn over your wallet to the state and say ONLY what they allow you to say!

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On 10/2/09 at 7:32 PM, JoeDoe wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Vote yes on #1. Protect chilldren from being taught perverted adult sexual behavior.

that gay sex is safe. that two men or two women can biologically create a family, that sodomy is acceptable, that aids

doesn't kill, that a gay lifestyle has no shame or guilt. that gay people aren't depressed. that gay people dont commit suicide

that a women can "play dad" that a man can "play mom". that children have no benefits to having both a mom and a dad.

that deviant sexual cravings are to be acted upon. that the bible does not mean what it says. Vote yes on One.

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On 10/3/09 at 6:56 AM, Thinkaboutit wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

VOTE YES ON QUESTION 1

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On 10/3/09 at 8:20 AM, Govt2Big wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

Since Deborah Hutton is married to a man who has spent the last 20 years working for the pro-tax union/PAC called SEIU Local 1989 (Tim Belcher), has she taken this action to protect her husband's organization? Just take a few minutes to review their VERY political website pages at

http://www.mseaseiu.org/Story91.html and http://www.mseaseiu.org.

The public deserves to have more transparency on both sides of important issues like this, but people like Deb Hutton are clearly on the pro-tax and pro-socialism side of the aisle. IMO, the best solution for our Maine tax problems is to cut government spending. In order to do that, we need to Vote YES on Q.2! (lowers the Excise Tax) & Vote YES on Q.4! (TABOR NOW to reduce governmental power in Maine).

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On 10/3/09 at 9:58 AM, glenna wrote:         Repeated separate thumbs down will cause comment to be hidden

I'll be voting YES on #4 and #2 - STOP the taxation (and fees. Car registration rates in this state are outrageous!)

I'll be voting NO on #1 - I hardly think the Roman Catholic Church is in any position to be telling us how to protect our children (and have you noticed that all of the "Yes" commercials on #1 include individuals from Massachusetts telling Mainers how to live? I can make up my own mind, Thank You.)

As for requiring MaineLeads to file any documents listing their supporters, fine. As long as the same rule(s) apply to those "groups" from the Maine Legislature and Maine unions that are so bent on using every hook and CROOK to tax and fee every cent of livable income out of the pocket of Mainers. It seems the Maine Democratic Party is working as fast as it can to put this state up for sale to the highest bidder. Time to kick the bums out of office and take back our homes and income.

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