OXFORD – Rep. Stavros Mendros was cited for three traffic violations after an officer discovered the Lewiston Republican installed his special-issue lawmaker license plates over the expired plates of another car.

Mendros was stopped on Mechanic Falls Road for an expired inspection sticker Sunday, according to Lt. Jon Tibbetts.

The officer learned that the blue State House 88 plate issued to Mendros expired in 2000. Another expired plate that was registered to the car’s owner, Raymond Poulin of Lewiston, was underneath.

Mendros was charged with operating an unregistered motor vehicle, operating an uninspected motor vehicle and having improper plates. He also was issued a summons for not having insurance and not wearing a seat belt.

Mendros, who is seeking his party’s nomination for the 2nd District congressional seat being vacated by Democrat John Baldacci, described the situation as “pretty embarrassing.”

Mendros said he had been using the car for over a year without registering it.

“I forgot to register the car, thinking my friend was going to do it, and he didn’t register it because he thought I was going to,” Mendros said.

Mendros and his mother own another car, but, he said, “it’s a gas guzzler, and it has been a busy year with running for Congress and being a representative.”