BANGOR – Maine Democrats on Friday drew attention to Republican state Senate candidate Cary Weston’s lawful campaign finance activities.
The attack mailer, which landed in Penobscot County mailboxes this week, criticizes Weston for paying his print company, Sutherland Weston, to produce mailers for his campaign against incumbent Sen. Geoff Gratwick (D-Penobscot).
Weston’s business partner, Elizabeth Sutherland, responded to the strange attack on Friday in a press release.
“Our company and our employees are supportive of Cary’s run for office. We wish him the best of luck. And many of us have offered to volunteer to help get him elected,” said Sutherland. “To abide by Maine’s election regulations we are charging Cary’s campaign the same way we would charge any other political campaign or candidate.”
Maine campaign finance regulations prohibit employees at Weston’s firm from volunteering for his campaign. “So, Weston’s campaign is paying them. As the rules require,” the campaign said in its press release.
As part of the bizarre attack, Maine Democrats also pointed up the business Weston’s company has previously done with other Republican candidates and the Maine Republican Party.
“I’m proud of our team and their efforts for my campaign and for the work we’ve done for other candidates and issues,” Weston said in a written statement.
“From the Bangor Public Library roof, to Bangor’s new arena, to expanding dental access for rural Mainers, we’ve worked on many political campaigns that we believe make Maine a better place,” he said. “It’s too bad the Maine Democratic Party is attacking my small business and its 15 employees. I think it’s great that the work is staying here, in Maine, at a locally owned company, regardless of the political party.”
Weston is running as a privately finance candidate, while Gratwick has accepted taxpayer funding for his campaign. According to Maine campaign finance records, Gratwick has received $23,580 in taxpayer funding for his campaign.
According to the itemized spending report, he used the lion’s share of that taxpayer funding to pay companies from Austin, Texas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana for campaign materials.
The mailers in Weston’s district are just the latest in a series of controversial mailers sponsored by the Maine Democratic Party.
8 Comments
After more than 40 years of Socialist Democratic rule where does Maine stand today? The oldest median age in the Country. A serious decline in the number of workers. A decline in the population for 2013 (last statistics available) and no reverse in sight. On every chart imaginable when comparing States you can always find Maine at or near the bottom. And these are just a few of the statistics the Socialist Democrats who have ruled Maine can boast. That is why I advise any young person in Maine with any ambition to get out as fast as they can. Get out on the highway and travel fast and light as quick as you can. And if you don’t want to travel south at least cross the boarder to the west where you have a libertarian conservative type of government that runs circles around Maine. Ever wonder why they always call Maine New England’s poor cousin?
Desperate people do odd things – sometimes out of anger, retaliation, or rebuttal, and often unlawful. Some get caught and pay a price, others are not. Some believe they are exempt from the rules and laws, others do their best to abide by them. Ethics and politics are strange bedfellows!
Gratwick really could not find a company in Maine to do his campaign work for him?
What a louse.
Republicans have ethics?
jooouli
don’t regret it
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