PORLTLAND, Maine — Lawyers for a political consultant who created a website targeting independent Eliot Cutler in the 2010 race for governor says the online attack was constitutionally protected political speech.
Dennis Bailey’s lawyers submitted the written arguments in U.S. District Court in Portland as part of their effort to overturn a $200 fine imposed by the state ethics commission.
The Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices said Bailey, who was working for a rival candidate, should have disclosed who authorized and paid for the site.
The Portland Press Herald says an assistant attorney general representing the ethics commission is defending the fine. The filing said the commission, and voters, need to know who’s paying for campaigns.
$200 Dollar fine!! just like Dennis Bailey Big Joke…
This is one of those cases where the response was far worse than the actual offense. OF COURSE it was protected speech, and to be quite frank there was nothing on the site tht was untrue. Why the accused didn’t just immediately say “yeah, that was us. We put that up” is completely beyond me. It is yet another reminder of just how sophomoric Maine political campaigns can be (like,before instance, the ENTIRE Libby Mitchell campaign).
It’s too bad too. Rosa would have made a great candidate to run against LePage in the next election. Sad that she allowed her campaign manager and husband act like idiots, then did nothing but protect them once she learned what thy had done.
If the Bangor Daily News and the Portland Press Herald were truely news services wth journalistic integrity, they would have exposed Eliot Cutler’s past history. Were you informed of his activities in Carters Office of Budget (17% inflation and stagnation), his being the lawyer and point man on the ground in China greasing the skids to move jobs to that very location, and being the director of the now bankrupt and defunct Thornburg Mortgage Inc . , a major player in the real-estate boom and bust scandal? It does give one pause to wonder why they didn’t and forced the creation of this rougue website. Mainers just dodged a bullet and should be thankful for those that were involved in it’s creation and shame on the BDN.