2 Baldacci aides resign after pot incident

BANGOR — Two top aides in state Sen. John Baldacci’s congressional campaign resigned this weekend after Bangor police caught them with marijuana.

Campaign manager Rosemary Baldacci, the candidate’s sister, and press secretary Sheila Long were in possession of a small amount of marijuana while at the Bangor waterfront Thursday night when they were caught by an officer on bicycle patrol.

They were cited for a civil violation and will likely pay a fine.

Lt. Brian Cox of the Bangor Police Department, who was off duty Sunday, said he was unable to confirm whose car they were using, but that marijuana was found in the vehicle. Cox also said that summonses had not been issued by late Friday because the incident remained under investigation. Detectives were unsure who was actually in possession of the marijuana, but one or both of the women could be cited, he said.

District Attorney R. Christopher Almy said Sunday, “My understanding is that both will be cited for civil possession of marijuana.”

He said he expected the summonses would be served on Long’s and Rosemary Baldacci’s attorneys Monday.

In letters dated Sunday, Rosemary Baldacci and Long told the candidate they regretted the incident, and believed resigning from the campaign staff was the only choice.

“Not only as your campaign manager, but more importantly, as your sister, I feel I have let you and this successful campaign down,” Rosemary Baldacci wrote in her letter.

“I am deeply distressed by the incident because I have long opposed drug use of any kind and I continue to do so,” the candidate said in a statement. “I do not in any way condone their actions and offer no excuses for them. Sheila and my sister have offered me their resignations, and after considerable deliberation, it is with deep regret that I have decided to accept their resignations from their official campaign positions.”

Both Rosemary Baldacci and Long were in possession of the marijuana on their own time, the candidate said, and both are expected to continue to volunteer with the campaign.

“While I accept their resignations from official paid positions within my campaign, I believe the honesty of their response to this situation, their sincere apologies and the hard work they have contributed to this campaign from the very beginning, should not preclude them from contributing to my campaign on a voluntary basis,” the statement continued.

During an interview, John Baldacci said he had worked to strike a balance between a proper response and the wish to allow his sister and Long a chance to redeem themselves.

“I am releasing this statement now, calling your attention to this matter, because I believe public figures have an obligation to be open and above board with the people they represent,” he said in the statement.

Baldacci’s GOP opponent, state Rep. Rick Bennett of Norway, criticized the campaign’s handling of the matter, saying Baldacci was “trying to have it both ways.

“When you have the two most important people, the campaign manager and press secretary … and suddenly to relegate them to a position of answering phones and stuffing envelopes, it doesn’t pass the straight-face test,” he said.

Bennett said that if it had been his staffers, he would have banished them from the campaign altogether, which he said would have sent a stronger message to young people.

“I’ve always told my staff to be very careful even how they’re perceived,” Bennett said, adding the fallout of the issue would decide whether it resurfaced in the campaign. “I certainly think it’s something voters will keep in mind.”

As a result of the shakeup, which comes less than two months before the election, deputy campaign manager Bill Collins was promoted to campaign manager, and Doug Dunbar was named press secretary. Another aide, Kim Russell, will assume Dunbar’s previous scheduling tasks.

A subdued John Baldacci said Sunday that while he considers the incident serious, he did not believe it to be a fatal political blow.

“The message is the same — the campaign goes forward,” he said.