AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) _ The Maine Republican Party’s executive director says he alone was responsible for running an anonymous website that published articles that Democrats say slandered their unsuccessful local candidate.

The state ethics commission’s staff on Friday said GOP Executive Director Jason Savage denied using his party’s resources to the Maine Examiner website.

The staff said it will be up to commissioners to decide this Thursday whether to open a formal investigation into whether the GOP violated campaign finance law.

Savage didn’t respond to a request for comment Friday.

The Maine Democratic Party asked the ethics commission to investigate GOP connection to the anonymous website. The party accused the Maine Examiner of undermining Lewiston mayoral candidate Ben Chin, who lost a Dec. 12 runoff.