Maine Republican Gov. Paul LePage has denied a father of three’s request to pardon a drug trafficking conviction that led to his deportation to Haiti.
The Morning Sentinel reports LePage said in a text message Tuesday that 35-year-old Lexius Saint Martin had nearly 10 years to resolve his case. He says Saint Martin “completely ignored our laws until they caught up with him.”
[Maine man whose arrest shocked family deported to Haiti]
Saint Martin was convicted of drug trafficking in 2008, but his deportation was postponed after Haiti suffered a devastating earthquake.
The family’s attorney, Evan Fisher, says it was cruel for LePage’s administration to send a letter informing Saint Martin that his pardon was denied before Thanksgiving.
He says he will refile a petition for a pardon next year when Democrat Gov.-elect Janet Mills takes office.