The Maine Wire
  • News
  • Commentary
  • Maine Wire TV
  • About
  • Contact
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Trending News
  • Maine State Police Blindsided as Speaker Talbot Ross Claims They Support “Racial Profiling” Bill Written by ACLU
  • No Discipline for Social Worker Who Gave 13yo Girl Breast Binder Without Telling Mother, Says Maine State Board
  • State House Kills “Right to Work” Legislation Prohibiting Employment Conditional on Payment of Union Dues
  • Trump Indicted on Federal Charges in Classified Documents Probe as Biden Faces Bribery Allegations
  • Gov’s Late-Term Abortion Bill Heads to House Amid Acrimony [Podcast]
  • Maine Wire Podcast: Carroll Conley on Abortion, LGBT, and Religious Liberty in Maine
  • Dems Block Debate on Gov’s Late-Term Abortion Bill, Refuse GOP Questioning of Medical Experts
  • Partisan Vote Ends Brakey’s Bid for Welfare Work Requirements
Facebook Twitter Instagram
The Maine Wire
Login
Friday, June 9
  • News
  • Commentary
  • Maine Wire TV
  • About
  • Contact
The Maine Wire
Home » News » Records show Speaker’s Sweetser landed sole-sourced state contracts worth $2.5 million last year
News

Records show Speaker’s Sweetser landed sole-sourced state contracts worth $2.5 million last year

Steve RobinsonBy Steve RobinsonJanuary 21, 20145 Comments3 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Reddit
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

sweetserSweetser, a non-profit social services agency and major Medicaid beneficiary, has received nearly $2.5 million from no-bid, sole-sourced contracts with the state of Maine.

House Speaker Mark Eves (D-North Berwick) serves as Director of Business Development for Sweetser and has been a prominent advocate for an expansion  Mediciad – an expansion that could increase Sweetser’s taxpayer-funded revenue stream by tens of millions of dollars.

The Speaker has also been a vocal critic of the LePage administration’s decision to enter into a no-bid, sole-sourced contract with Gary Alexander of The Alexander Group. But according to state records obtained by The Maine Wire, Eves’ opinion of no-bid contracts is altogether different when it comes to developing Sweetser’s business.

[RELATED: Emails raise questions on House Speaker’s ties to major Medicaid expansion beneficiary…]

[RELATED: House Speaker will continue working for major Medicaid expansion beneficiary…]

sweetser speaker
The Sweetser Speaker

Eves and the Speaker’s Office did not return emails requesting comment on Sweetser’s no-bid contracts.

State records show that Sweetser landed the following sole-sourced contracts with the state last year:

  • $450,000 with the office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health. Services include “assertive community treatment” and “community integration”. That contract will not be sole-sourced in the future and is scheduled for an RFP in July of 2015.
  • $743,534 with the Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health. Services include “self help” and “warm lines”.
  • $149,594 with the Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health. Services include “psychiatric medication services” and “transportation”.
  • $1.13 million from the Office of Substance Abuse and Mental Health. Services include “Crisis stabilization – mobile response” and “crisis stabilization – residential facility”.

All told, Sweetser has received more than $2.475 million in no-bid contracts from the state of Maine for services beginning in July of 2013 and ending in June of 2014. Many of these contracts were negotiated during the 125th Legislature, when Eves was serving as the Democratic lead on the Health and Human Services Committee.

In June, The Maine Wire reported that Eves was advocating for a Medicaid expansion proposal that would significantly benefit his employer. In response to that article, Eves said he was no longer an employee of Sweetser and Sweetser CEO Carl Pendleton confirmed as much in a blog post on the non-profit’s website.

[RELATED: Sweetser Counselor to House Speaker: “I have seen significant abuse of TANF, SNAP…]

Subsequent investigation revealed that Eves returned to employment with Sweetser in July and was actively employed with the agency when he voted in the Legislative Council, in October, to allow his Medicaid expansion bill to enter the second regular session in violation of Joint Legislative Rules.

[RELATED: Lawmakers spar over Speaker’s potential conflict of interest…]

A spokeswoman for the Speaker confirmed that Eves’ leave of absence is in effect only when the Legislature is in session. She denied any conflict of interest.

Records detailing Sweetser’s no-bid, sole-sourced contracts with the state can be viewed here: Sweetser.

Steve Robinson
Editor, Maine Wire
serobinson@themainewire.com

Maine Democrats Medicaid expansion
Previous ArticleWhy did the BDN refuse to publish this letter to the editor?
Next Article Poliquin reports $148,000 raised in final quarter, $300,000 cash on hand
Steve Robinson
  • Twitter

Steve Robinson is the Editor-in-Chief of The Maine Wire. ‪He can be reached by email at Robinson@TheMaineWire.com.

Related Posts

Maine State Police Blindsided as Speaker Talbot Ross Claims They Support “Racial Profiling” Bill Written by ACLU

June 9, 2023

No Discipline for Social Worker Who Gave 13yo Girl Breast Binder Without Telling Mother, Says Maine State Board

June 9, 2023

State House Kills “Right to Work” Legislation Prohibiting Employment Conditional on Payment of Union Dues

June 9, 2023

5 Comments

  1. Representative Lawrence E Lockman on January 21, 2014 8:36 PM

    Nothing to see here, folks, move along…I said, “Move along already!”

  2. Michael Pock on January 22, 2014 8:36 AM

    “Leave of Absence when Legislature is in session”? Is that like “the jury will disreguard the previous statement? Dems – Leave of Absence = Reps – Conflict of Interest. Beware of the Wire !

  3. Jean Marie McCurdy on January 22, 2014 12:51 PM

    And still not enough for them, they keep taking and taking from the working folks without a blink of an eye.

  4. Jonathan McKane on January 23, 2014 8:51 AM

    I’m sure the Press Herald will take this issue up and do a thorough investigation. Colin Woodard – where are you?

  5. tory burch ballet flats on October 4, 2014 1:59 PM

    Amazing! This blog looks just like my old one! It’s on a entirely different topic but
    it has pretty much the same page layout and design. Outstanding choice of colors!

    Feel free to surf to my site tory burch ballet flats

Leave A Reply

Recent News

Maine State Police Blindsided as Speaker Talbot Ross Claims They Support “Racial Profiling” Bill Written by ACLU

June 9, 2023

No Discipline for Social Worker Who Gave 13yo Girl Breast Binder Without Telling Mother, Says Maine State Board

June 9, 2023

State House Kills “Right to Work” Legislation Prohibiting Employment Conditional on Payment of Union Dues

June 9, 2023

Trump Indicted on Federal Charges in Classified Documents Probe as Biden Faces Bribery Allegations

June 9, 2023

Gov’s Late-Term Abortion Bill Heads to House Amid Acrimony [Podcast]

June 9, 2023
Newsletter

News

  • News
  • Campaigns & Elections
  • Opinion & Commentary
  • Media Watch
  • Education
  • Media

Maine Wire

  • About the Maine Wire
  • Advertising
  • Contact Us
  • Submit Commentary
  • Complaints
  • Maine Policy Institute

Resources

  • Maine Legislature
  • Legislation Finder
  • Get the Newsletter
  • Maine Wire TV

Facebook Twitter Instagram Steam RSS
  • Post Office Box 7829, Portland, Maine 04112

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

Sign In or Register

Welcome Back!

Login below or Register Now.

Lost password?

Register Now!

Already registered? Login.

A password will be e-mailed to you.