AUGUSTA, Maine — The Maine Ethics Commission on Friday quickly dismissed complaints filed by the state Republican and Democratic parties, which each alleged that the other’s candidate for governor had improperly used the resources of their respective offices for political gain.
The flap started Tuesday afternoon, when the Maine Democratic Party filed an ethics complaint alleging that Republican Gov. Paul LePage had used state-owned vehicles and other equipment to promote his re-election bid.
Specifically, the party pointed to videos showing a campaign spokesman riding with LePage in a state-owned vehicle on multiple occasions, including to campaign-specific events.
The five-member commission, however, was persuaded by the argument from Josh Tardy, an attorney for the LePage campaign, who said the governor had no choice but to ride in that vehicle — a black SUV driven by a state police officer assigned to the Executive Protection Unit.
“The public interest is served by protecting the governor at all times,” Tardy said. “There’s probably a heightened need for security for that which we call campaign events. That’s where we have protesters, trackers. The schedule is usually well known where a governor for re-election is going.”
The Democrats had also claimed misuse of other state property: They submitted records indicating the governor had used his official state office telephone number as the contact line for his campaign, and argued that LePage’s use of official gubernatorial communications equipment and staff to criticize congressional votes taken by his Democratic opponent, U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud, amounted to “thinly veiled campaign missives.”
The Maine Ethics Commission’s executive director, Jonathan Wayne, told commissioners in a memo Thursday that whether such use of state property could be construed as “misuse” should be left to the Attorney General’s Office.
The commission did not address the allegations of misuse of state property by LePage, nor did they refer the issue to Attorney General Janet Mills. Maine Democratic Party’s executive director, Mary Erin Casale, said after the hearing that she will consult with the party’s attorney to determine whether a complaint will be filed with the AG.
“I don’t think Gov. LePage and his campaign should be penalized for being in office, but I also don’t think they should have an advantage,” Casale said during the hearing.
The commission was similarly dismissive of a Republican Party complaint, filed just hours after the Democrats’ on Tuesday, alleging that Michaud had used federal campaign funds to benefit his bid for governor.
Specifically, the Republicans questioned a $500 donation from Michaud’s congressional campaign in November 2013 to the Maine AFL-CIO, which endorsed Michaud for governor at an event two weeks prior.
Michaud campaign spokesman Matt McTighe told commissioners Friday that the donation in question was to purchase an advertisement in an AFL-CIO convention booklet, and was made to the union’s nonprofit, nonpolitical organization, not its political action committee.
Republicans had also asked whether a cellphone carried by Michaud, paid out of his congressional account for “political use,” was used in association with his campaign for governor. However, a Michaud staffer told commissioners that phone was used not for gubernatorial politicking, but for political calls associated with his duties as a congressman.
The commissioners were satisfied with that explanation, and voted unanimously to dismiss the complaint against Michaud.
Follow Mario Moretto on Twitter at @riocarmine.
