AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) Maine’s ethics commission says it will release up to $3 million in public campaign funds for one gubernatorial candidate and over 200 legislative candidates.
The commission voted 3-1 Thursday to release the money held up by a typo in a budget law.
Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s administration recently agreed to comply with a judge’s order to release over $1 million in public campaign funding that LePage held up by refusing to sign routine financial orders.
Several ethics commissioners said that same logic should apply to more money held up because lawmakers didn’t fix the error. Candidates would qualify for the money by collecting enough $5 contributions.
A Maine Citizens for Clean Elections lawyer said the judge was clear the Legislature and governor shouldn’t be involved with distributing campaign funds.
