Just one year into his administration — and almost three years from facing voters for re-election — Gov. Paul LePage has built an intertwined and closely related political infrastructure focused on advancing his policies and securing his re-election.
His affiliates include two supposed nonprofits and his already formed re-election committee.
At least on paper, it appears LePage has been running for re-election since March of 2011.
Just three months into his first term, LePage, reportedly using leftover money from his inauguration, launched Maine People Before Politics, a nonprofit organization run by two of LePage’s former campaign hands, Jason Savage and political consultant Brent Littlefield.
People Before Politics claims to be a membership-based nonprofit, but by formation and activities, it appears to be operating as LePage’s external political arm, supporting his policies and defending his activities.
In August, eight months into his four-year term, LePage filed the paperwork to form his re-election campaign committee.
According to the available online records at the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices, it’s the earliest formation of a gubernatorial election committee dating back to at least 2002.
On Tuesday, the re-election committee was scheduled to hold a fundraiser, apparently targeting lobbyists and the State House crowd. The invitation gives donors the option of contributing $3,000 to host the event, $1,500 to co-host or $500 for a ticket.
Tuesday is a significant date for State House fundraising. It’s the last day the governor or members of the Legislature can accept campaign contributions from lobbyists. Donations are not allowed during the legislative session, which began Wednesday, Jan. 4.
The event is asking big-dollar supporters to make the maximum donation allowed by law for both 2014’s primary and general elections. Last spring, LePage successfully doubled the limits on campaign gifts while also working to gut Maine’s Clean Election Act.
It takes a lot of gumption to ask donors to max out so far from an election, but that’s apparently the governor’s strategy this year.
Maine People Before Politics and the Committee to Re-Elect Paul LePage share the same treasurer, Richard Swanson, who was also the treasurer for LePage’s successful campaign in 2010.
In addition to his key role in LePage’s electoral and political efforts, Swanson is the deputy director of the Maine State Planning Office, where he serves as a political appointee.
The nonprofit group and the re-election committee also have in common Littlefield, who is an adviser to both and also worked on the governor’s campaign in 2010.
But the orchestration doesn’t stop there.
The Maine Heritage Policy Center has dropped even a pretense of distance between itself and LePage. The conservative advocacy organization played an important part in LePage’s election and transition into office.
Many of the governor’s most extreme policies, including the undermining of Maine’s insurance laws and his efforts to deny 65,000 Mainers health insurance, can be laid at this nonprofit’s feet.
In December, the CEO of the organization appeared on MPBN’s Maine Watch on “behalf of the governor’s office” to defend the governor’s recent budget proposals after Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Mary Mayhew pulled out of the appearance.
Maine People Before Politics and the Maine Heritage Policy Center have taken on some of the roles that customarily are played by political parties by working to develop the governor’s policy, engaging voters, organizing volunteers and defending his agenda.
The great advantage is that neither organization is required to reveal the sources of its funding. Unlike political parties and the governor’s re-election committee, the nonprofits operate largely outside political reporting requirements.
LePage’s administration got off to a rocky start with the leaders of the state Republican Party. On the surface, that relationship appears to have mended.
As the GOP works to hold onto control in the Legislature, moderate Republicans and those in tough districts will need to distance themselves from LePage, which means the party will have to pick sides or hold its collective tongue.
Given LePage’s early fundraising efforts and the shadow political organizations that support him, maybe it doesn’t matter what the state’s Republican Party does or says. He has his own well-funded political apparatus at his beck and call, ready to carry his message without regard to Republicans in the Legislature or elsewhere in the state.
There’s lots of idle speculation that LePage won’t run for re-election, that he doesn’t like the job, the legislative process or the people he has to put up with.
The evidence goes in the other direction. It suggests he’s running and he’s getting ready for a fight — with the Legislature, his own party or an unknown foe down the road. And a fight is one part of his job that he clearly loves.
David Farmer is a political and media consultant. He was formerly deputy chief of staff and communications director for Gov. John E. Baldacci and a longtime journalist. His clients include Maine Equal Justice Partners and EngageMaine. You can reach him at dfarmer14@hotmail.com and follow him on Twitter @dfarmer14.
Well, if he cuts MaineCare for 65,000 there goes 65,000 votes plus more from the families and friends of those being cut.
Paul fights with a blunted mind and someone else’s money. That may work in some areas of our country but not Maine. Show us you’re a fool and we’ll dump you quick. How many times now has Paul shown us that he’s a fool and or a foolish liar? I’d list them all but after only one year that list is already getting so long that it would take waaaaay too much time to write or for folks to read. Goodbye Paul, not so nice to know ya!
It’s foolish to expect ethical behavior from someone with the ethics of a bully.
Lepage has been ready for a fight from the get-go and you are just catching on Farmboy?
It makes perfect sense for LePage to start as early as possible in raising money. He is no Les Otten or Bruce Poliquin. He has very little personal wealth to contribute to a campaign. And you can bet that the Democrat machine in Maine is stockpiling as much money as it can hold to fund opposition to LePage. In an economy such as the one we are living in, raising money for a political campaign is going to take a lot of work.
Th Republican party in Maine is also working hard to raise money. They were fortunate in the last election to have great candidates. LePage was fortunate to have a five-way race that allowed him to get elected. This will not be the case in the next election. If Republicans in Maine have learned anything over the past two years, it is that preparation is needed to keep power. And money—lots of it.
Thats no election fund.
Its a Perpetual Propaganda Machine for Buisness
Mr. Farmer, the Democrats need no organizations like People before Politics, because they have every public employee union as their mouth piece. I dare say that the unions are far better funded.
“Maine People Before Politics and the Maine Heritage Policy Center have
taken on some of the roles that customarily are played by political
parties by working to develop the governor’s policy, engaging voters,
organizing volunteers and defending his agenda.”
Sounds like what the BIG Labor Unions did for you and John Baldacci. And you guys repaid them handsomely by making it illegal to work for the State of Maine and not pay union dues. Democrats smell as bad as republicans Dave, you know it you just could never admit it.
It’s more than passing odd that groups supporting Governor LePage are painted as somehow shadowy and nefarious while liberal advocacy groups who oppose him seem to be above criticism.
Are you and Ben Dudley still running Maine Can Do Better, as referenced below?
“Conflict of Interest? Six-Figure Salaries and Social Services Funding
Rallies in Augusta this week organized by an alliance of Progressive organizations and so-called Patient Advocacy Groups (PAGS) to push back against the Governor’s supplemental Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) budget have raised the specter of a serious conflict of interest. Some in Maine have begun to raise the question: do organizations who receive state money, some of whom are even instrumentalilties of the state, have a conflict of interest in lobbying against funding cuts?
…A consortium of non-profit liberal advocacy groups, under the banner of the organization Maine Can Do Better (MCDB), has mobilized to oppose the proposed budget cuts.
…However, high salaries, lobbying, the creation of a bureaucratic infrastructure which is self-reinforcing, and millions in government funds raises the question: who are these organizations advocating for?
…Below is a sampling of the CEO salaries for some of the Maine Can Do Better groups:
* Avesta Housing – $128,811 ($11 million in government funding)
* Disability Rights Center – $95,955 ($1.6 million in government funding)
*Family Planning Association – $102,454 ($3.8 million in government funding)
* Preble Street – $88,109 (($2.5 million in government funding)”
…Maine Can Do Better, an organization run by veteran Democrat political operatives Ben Dudley and David Farmer, has been orchestrating a concerted advocacy program to sustain funding for these groups….”
http://www.themainewire.com/2011/12/254/
And that source link would be the MHPC’s “news” subsidiary … the same organization that just fired a staff writer when his racist and neo-Nazi comments became too widely publicized for the comfort of his employers. At the time of his hiring his views were not deemed sufficiently unusual, nor so far out of keeping with the goals and agenda of either MHPC or The Maine Wire, for them to not hire him in the first place.
That’s nice.
Got anything of substance to say about the facts presented in the piece?
Paulie’s fight will go down in history as the charge of the Tea Brigade.
Theirs is not to wonder why…theirs is but to Koch or die.
And how is this different from President Obama and his fund raising?
Oh I forget he is a Democrat.
Farmer you are full of B/S
Well, to state the obvious both Pres. Obama and Gov. LePage launched their reelection campaigns at roughly the same time, yet the Presidential election is this year while the governorship race is three years away. But, hey, what are facts anyway?
I recall Jim Longley’s campaign during which he said he was only interested in serving one term, simularly to Gov. LePage’s avowed position. Gov. Longley kept his promise to the People of Maine.
MPBP and MHPC are just as much acting like political parties as the MPA and MCDB are. Tell me, Mr. Farmer, what are the differences between these groups?
People hyperventilating over this were no doubt just as indignant about BHO’s campaign for re-election which started in February of 2009! Riiiiiiiight!
Presidential candidates are in constant campaign mode. That is not only true of Obama but a few before him as well. The problem of perpetual campaigning is getting worse not better.
When politicians are spending so much of their time running instead of governing, we get poor governance. The money in the electoral system is the root of the problem. Now, more than ever, we need publicly funded elections with no loopholes whatsoever.
I don’t think he deserves another term. He talks B.S. and does not care about creating jobs for Maine. He just wants to cut programs that are going to hurt needy families and people here. They should start cutting the Government salaries and see how they like it. Any Govt. Official that lies should not be leading our State or Country. I say ” THROW ALL THE BUMS OUT ASAP..
I become more and more suspicious of his intents every day
Oh dear, Oh my! The Governor is prepping for fight! Republicans aren’t allowed to fight, much less prepare for one. Only the Democrats are allowed to do that. Governor LePage is supposed to lay and pay homage to all the John Martin Democrats. How dare he stand up and gear up for a fight without Mr. Farmer’s permission. What a crock, Mr Farmer! What a crock!! Democrats are just mad that Lepage is one step ahead of them again!