AUGUSTA, Maine — Gov. Paul LePage has made dozens of nominations to state boards and commissions this month, contradicting his summer statement that legislators would wait until at least January for him to fill positions.
According to records that are posted to the wall outside LePage’s office at the State House, the governor has made 24 nominations and re-nominations since Oct. 5, along with five nominations of judges to the Maine Superior and District courts. None of the new appointments appear to be listed on LePage’s website, and his communications staff could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon.
In June, LePage withdrew 21 pending nominations to a range of boards and commissions because he was angry about how one of his nominees was treated by the Legislature’s Energy, Utilities and Technology Committee during confirmation hearings. Bruce Williamson, whom LePage nominated to the Public Utilities Commission, faced hard questioning by some Democrats, two of whom voted against Williamson. Williamson went on win confirmation from the Senate.
LePage told MPBN on Sept. 21 that he would not make any nominations to boards and commissions until the Legislature returns in January.
“Too much hatred between the Legislature and the executive branch, so there is a cooldown period until January, and then I will consider putting the judges in,” said LePage at the time. “That’s the only ones I will consider putting in.”
LePage nominated five judges to the Superior and District Court benches earlier this month. The rest of the nominations he has made this month appear to restore most or all of the list of nominees he withdrew in June. The nominees and re-nominations who require confirmation by the Maine Senate include the following:
— University of Maine System board of trustees, Gregory D. Johnson of Harpswell and Sarah E. Newell of Winterport.
— Worker’s Compensation Board, Gary Koocher of Portland and Glenn W. Burroughs of Lewiston.
— Maine Commission on Indigent Legal Services, Susan E. Roy of Waterville.
— Loring Development Authority, Richard J. Ezzy of Caribou.
— Maine Rural Development Authority, Bruce Harrington of Fairfield and Peter DelGreco of Brunswick.
— Marine Resources Advisory Council, Jennifer S. Bichrest of Topsham, Christopher Weiner of Portland and Raymond Swenton of Gorham.
— Maine Community College System board of trustees, Nicole Boucher of Lebanon.
— Board of Environmental Protection, Jonathan Mapes of Springvale.
— Maine School of Science and Math Board of Trustees, David Ferguson of Limerick.
— Maine Milk Commission, Richard Cook of Hermon.
— Washington County Development Authority, Elizabeth Fitzgerald of Machiasport.
— Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Advisory Council, Jeffrey Lewis of Ellsworth and Jerry W. Scribner of Belgrade.
— Maine Public Employees Retirement System board of trustees, Brian Noyes of Freeport.
LePage also has made a handful of personal appointments this month that do not require confirmation by the Senate. A Senate spokesman said Friday that Senate leaders have not yet chosen a date to convene for confirmations.
