Politics As Usual: Ethics Commission Defies Staff on GOP Ad

Augusta, Maine — Gubernatorial candidate Pat LaMarche said that she was disappointed but not at all surprised by the straight party-line vote of the Ethics Commission, which ruled today that ads promoting the candidacy of the Republican gubernatorial candidate did not "expressly advocate" for his election.

The Commission's vote overrode and rejected a recommendation by the Commission's professional staff that one of the ads crossed the line into express advocacy.

If the Ethics Commission had ruled in favor of the LaMarche request, both Democratic and Republican candidates would have been denied access to hundreds of thousands of dollars of special interest contributions. The two Republicans and two Democrats on the Commission voted in favor of continuing the special interest funding of Clean Elections candidates; the lone independent commissioner voted against the practice.

"The ads don't pass the straight face test," said LaMarche. "Every newspaper in Maine that has reported or commented about the ads treats them as advocating for the Republican candidate."

LaMarche said the Ethics Commission "should represent the electors of Maine and not the elected." Since more Mainers are independent voters rather than enrolled with any party, LaMarche said the Ethics Commission should reflect this.

The campaign is considering an appeal of the Commission's decision.