The state held its first hearing related to the requested removal of Oxford County Sheriff Christopher Wainwright.

That hearing took place Monday morning in Augusta. It comes after the Oxford County Commission submitted a complaint to the Governor’s Office asking for Wainwright’s removal.

Wainwright was reprimanded in May of 2023 after asking a deputy to go easy on an acquaintance for a traffic violation and yelling at the deputy and his supervisor over the matter. He apologized for his actions, but was later accused of selling guns from the evidence room and hiring two retired state troopers as school resource officers, even though their police certifications had expired.

Wainwright said no guns were taken from law-abiding citizens and proceeds from the sales went to the county, but commissioners say he’s offered no proof of that.

Under Maine law, the governor is the only official who can remove a county sheriff from office.