AUGUSTA — The Maine Commission of Governmental Ethics and Election Practices has recommended that a $1,500 penalty imposed on the York County Republican Committee for filing campaign expenditures late be reduced to $200.
The issue stems from the county GOP committee’s independent expenditure in connection with the special election of candidate Matthew Harrington for House District 19, which took place Nov. 3.
Harrington, who was elected, was a candidate in the race to fill a vacancy left by the death of Maine House Rep. Bill Noon.
According to ethics commission documents, the York County Republican Committee purchased a $643 mailing supporting Harrington on Sept. 8. It was required to report the expenditure by Sept. 10, but did not do so until Jan. 6 following discussions with commission staff on a different report.
According to the ethics commission formula, the preliminary penalty calculation works out to $1,519.84 based on the report being 118 days late.
In recommending the reduction of the penalty to $200, commission staff noted the inexperience of party members and its treasurer with making independent expenditures as significant mitigating factors.
While the York GOP has purchased mailings and similar advertising supporting candidates in the past, because these expenditures occurred in general elections and featured three or more candidates, they were exempt from the definition of expenditure and therefore exempt from reporting as an independent expenditure, according to the commission staff.
“It was, by all appearances, a mistake resulting from a lack of experience filing independent expenditure reports by a local party committee staffed by well-intentioned volunteers,” the commission staff report states.
York County GOP Treasurer Connie Bemis asked for a waiver in an email to the ethics commission.
“This was a very unusual circumstance for our party and I was not aware of the filing report,” wrote Bemis. “It was unintentional and simply an issue of not being aware of this special rule.”
The commission staff report goes on to produce examples of reduced penalties to party committees in other circumstances in recent years – $50 against the Somerset County Democratic Committee for a late semiannual campaign finance report, $200 to the Sagadahoc County Democratic Committee for a late 24- hour report, and $150 to the Kennebec County Democratic Committee for two late semiannual reports.
— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 324-4444 (local call in Sanford) or 282-1535, ext. 327 or twells@journaltribune.com.
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