Postcard endorsing Bangor council candidates violates state election regulation
A postcard that was despatched to many Bangor residents endorsing three metropolis council candidates violates Maine election regulation.
The postcard lists Susan Deane, Philip Henry and Carolyn Fish because the “most well-liked candidates for Bangor Metropolis Council,” however the mailing doesn’t checklist explanation why they need to be elected. The opposite aspect of the postcard reads “Assist us take again our metropolis!”
However the postcard doesn’t embrace info on who paid for and accepted the fabric, which is a violation of Maine Election Legislation, in keeping with Jonathan Wayne, government director of the Maine Ethics Fee.
“Usually, a mailing like this one ought to state the identify and handle of the person who made or financed the expenditure for the mailing,” Wayne stated. “Additionally, the mailing is meant to say whether or not any candidate licensed the communication.”
Deane, Henry and Fish are three of the eight candidates operating for 3 out there positions on the nine-person Bangor Metropolis Council this yr. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 7.
The three council candidates listed on the mailer — Henry, Deane and Fish — confirmed they had been by no means requested to approve the mailer and don’t know who created and issued it.
“I don’t know who did it, I used to be by no means requested to approve it and it’s not my fashion,” Fish stated. “It’s good to have help, nevertheless it must be accomplished proper.”
Bangor Metropolis Clerk Lisa Goodwin stated she doesn’t but know who issued the postcard, what number of Bangor residents obtained it and the way a lot it price to ship them.
Due to this, it’s additionally unclear whether or not the filer spent sufficient cash on the postcards to warrant submitting a report back to the Bangor metropolis clerk’s workplace disclosing that info.
“In case you do that independently and spend a sure sum of money on it, you’re speculated to file a report with me,” Goodwin stated.
State statute requires people or teams to report how a lot they spend to help a candidate or marketing campaign if it’s above a set quantity. However the threshold for a way a lot cash have to be spent to warrant that disclosure ranges from $350 to $1,500 relying on the place the candidate would fill.
The Maine Ethics Fee additionally doesn’t know who paid for, licensed or cooperated with the mailing, or what it price to subject, Wayne stated.
Whereas the mailer endorses the identical candidates as a neighborhood Political Motion Committee, Residents for a Safer Bangor, the PAC just isn’t accountable for creating or issuing the mailer, in keeping with Louie Morrison, a downtown landlord and member of the PAC.
The Residents for a Safer Bangor PAC follows state election regulation by disclosing on its web site that the group paid for its messaging and it was not accepted by the candidates. Goodwin stated the group has additionally filed studies with the town to reveal how a lot it has spent on marketing campaign contributions.
“No matter they’re doing, they’ve accomplished all of it legally,” Goodwin stated.
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