AUGUSTA – The state campaign watchdog agency on Friday fined former Republican gubernatorial candidate Peter Cianchette $12,000 for failing to report $68,609 in in-kind contributions from his family’s construction company to his 2002 campaign.

The Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices said three reports filed by the Cianchette campaign failed to substantially comply with the campaign finance reporting law.

The matter was brought to the commission’s attention by Ron Harwood, a former supervisor for Cianbro Corp., the construction company founded by the Cianchette family.

In a letter to the commission earlier this month, Cianchette accepted responsibility for the campaign’s errors. Cianchette said he didn’t learn of Cianbro’s in-kind campaign efforts until after the complaint was filed and that his campaign staff had only “nominal” involvement with Cianbro’s efforts.

Cianbro has acknowledged that it helped Cianchette and that it is reviewing its campaign practices.

Cianchette lost the 2002 general election to Democrat John Baldacci, who is seeking re-election this year. Two other candidates also ran.