Commission probes misuse of public election funds

AUGUSTA – Three legislative candidates may face fines for misusing public funds in this fall’s elections.

The state agency that oversees the public financing of political campaigns is investigating use of funds of two losing candidates, Democrat Loren Bailey of Falmouth and Republican David Ireland of Lincoln, and one winner, Democrat Jacqueline Lundeen of Mars Hill.

The staff of the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices is collecting information and has not drawn any conclusions.

The commission can impose penalties of up to $10,000 per violation of the Clean Election Act and the state’s campaign-finance laws. It can also order the return of all public money and refer violations of law to the Attorney General’s Office.

William Hain, executive director of the ethics commission, told Bailey in a Nov. 21 letter that items under review included more than 30 restaurant meals with campaign volunteers and others that cost a combined total of more than $1,900. One meal for four people cost $330.

Bailey said the meals were permissible expenses under the state’s spending guidelines because they clearly were campaign-related, but acknowledged that he should not have used public money to cover a $217 car-repair bill.

The commission is looking into whether Ireland illegally co-mingled campaign funds and private funds, how he used public funds and whether he used them before he was authorized to do so.

Ireland acknowledged in a letter that he used campaign funds to buy a $1,400 money order for his personal use, but said such mistakes were unintentional and blamed them on overwork.

The ethics commission has asked Lundeen, the only successful candidate among the three, for more detailed information on how she spent the money she received from the state. Lundeen has complied.

Hain said it is conceivable that all of the money was used properly in all three cases, but investigators need more information to determine that. Any evidence of wrongdoing will be referred to the full commission, possibly at its next meeting Jan. 10.