AUGUSTA — An investigation by the Capitol Police found that no intentional damage occurred to a car belonging to Rep. Tim Theriault, R-China.
Capitol Police Chief Russell Gauvin said Wednesday that marks left on Theriault’s Mercedes, which was parked in the legislative parking lot Monday, were rubbed off.
“It doesn’t look like it was intentionally damaged,” Gauvin said.
On Monday, two Republican lawmakers said their cars were damaged following the partial shutdown of state government at 12:01 a.m., Saturday.
The reports of vandalism, to Theriault’s car and a pickup owned by Rep. Sheldon Hanington, R-Lincoln, that was parked in his driveway, were linked as recently as Tuesday to unrest by state employees over the shutdown.
Hanington has filed a report on the damage to his vehicle with the Lincoln Police Department.
Gov. Paul LePage accused some state workers of keying the cars of Republican lawmakers who held out for a budget bill without tax increases.
“Stop keying cars because that is what they have been doing today, and I find that very, very disconcerting,” LePage told reporters early Tuesday morning after signing the budget.
Theriault said he discovered the marks on his car Saturday night when he arrived at home, and he reported the incident to Capitol Police Sunday morning. When the Capitol Police officer looked at it, Theriault said the marks turned out to be streaks of plastic.
“I didn’t want to raise a stink,” he said Wednesday. “I am tickled I was not targeted. It’s all good. ”
Gauvin said Wednesday that Capitol Police have not identified who may have left the marks on Theriault’s car.
Jessica Lowell — 621-5632
Twitter: @JLowellKJ
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