Blaine House candidate appeals decision over clean election funds

PORTLAND – Independent gubernatorial candidate John Michael is appealing a decision by state election officials to deny him public financing for his campaign.

The state Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices last month told Michael it was denying him funding under the state’s Clean Election Act after finding problems with checks he submitted from registered voters to qualify for funding.

The commission said Michael missed the deadline for submitting materials, submitted contributions from people who aren’t registered voters, and turned in other material that was incomplete. The denial could cost Michael as much as $1.2 million in public financing for his campaign.

Michael filed his appeal late Friday, which was the deadline.

In the appeal, Michael’s attorney, Stephen Whiting, refuted the findings of the commission staff, calling many of the problems “nitpicky technicalities.”

Whiting accused the commission of discrimination and violating Michael’s equal protection rights under the Maine and U.S. constitutions. The appeal asked that Michael be given three weeks to examine evidence collected by the commission staff before a hearing is held.

Candidates seeking public financing must qualify as Maine Clean Election candidates by collecting at least 2,500 $5 qualifying contributions and submitting them to the ethics commission.

In denying Michael’s submission, commission staff said Michael submitted more than 500 checks fewer than the required minimum.

The commission also found several problems with the materials submitted by Michael, such as contributors not being registered voters and evidence that some contributors listed never actually donated money.

The commission also said it detected “a pattern of fraud” in Michael’s campaign efforts to obtain qualifying contributions.