Ethics Commission Fines Senate Leader $9,000 For Violating Campaign Disclosure Rules
The Maine Ethics Commission voted 3-2 to fine the assistant majority leader {Sen. Andre Cushing, Newport-(R)} of the Maine Senate a total of $9,000 for failing to disclose using campaign funds, in some instances to provide short-term loans for a business he owns.
The vote by the commission follows a probe into Cushing’s finances that began in November of last year. The fine is lower than the one Cushing could have been assessed. Under Maine law, the Newport Republican could have been hit with a penalty of $105,000.
Ethics Commission staff recommended a lower penalty, between $11,000 and $16,500, because the violations did not appear to give him any electoral advantage and because he worked with ethics staff to properly file.
The five-member board split on the issue of lowering it further, but settled on $9,000.
Read more: http://mainepublic.org/post/ethics-commission-fines-senate-leader-9000-violating-campaign-disclosure-rules