AUGUSTA – Members of the bipartisan state ethics commission concluded on Monday that one of the two people behind the political website attacking independent gubernatorial candidate Eliot Cutler violated Maine election law.
The person, who was referred to as John Doe II, was assessed a maximum fine of $200 for not having a disclaimer statement on the website by the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices.
The claim by Cutler’s lawyer that the people behind the website had spent more than $100 on it – which would have required them to file an independent expenditure report – was dismissed.
The commission declined to reveal the identities of the two men responsible for the website during Monday’s meeting. However, the identity of John Doe II will likely be revealed eventually because he was found in violation and assessed a fine, unless the decision is appealed in court.
This post was updated from a previous version to correct the nature of the violation.
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