Some states lead in nonsense – and public corruption. Sadly, Maine is one of these. As Maine’s Democrat-controlled legislative session crashes to an unseemly end, bills are jammed down Mainers’ throats, Republicans disenfranchised, and rules are violated.
The sense of impunity those in charge currently share is gross and palpable – They can do anything, they believe. A state audit strongly implied corruption. Caveat Actor simply means: “let the doer beware.”
In politics as in life, the adage “what goes around comes around” is a truism. Right now, Democrats think they can dismiss minority complaints about unlawfulness, broken promises, processes, and procedures, and ignore unfairness. They think the 2.1 billion dollars in apparent malfeasance will just be forgotten, swept under the rug with all the rest, fade away.
They are wrong. Mainers are sick and tired of the bold, unapologetic, and unethical abuse of power.
First, there are the procedural breaches – often very personal and petty – Democrat misinterpretation of rules, waving of rules, and violations of rules they wrote. And there are the proven failures, conflicts of interest, self-dealing, complicity in corrupt acts, illegal receipt of proceeds, contracting, and blackletter law – all acts that do not go away.
These actions are not unimportant. They are not here and gone. They are a track record, just the way a voting record is a track record, only more ominous. They provide a roadmap into possible criminal investigations for the federal government, or should Republicans recapture the House and Senate this cycle, opening the door to constitutional officers, including Attorney General.
More immediately, the federal Department of Justice – which wields considerable power to investigate, prosecute, and convict wayward state officials – appears interested in the Maine governor and legislative majority. Hubris plays poorly in court, worse in front of grand juries.
As a former litigator, New York and Maine attorney, and head of oversight investigations for the US Congress into Justice, Defense, State and other parts of government, I relied heavily on whistleblowers. There is every reason to believe we have them in Maine. Caveat Actor.
Second, Maine’s unapologetic, belligerent governor – self-assured and seemingly resolved to stiff arm anyone, on any issue – may be at a Rubicon, point of no return. Oddly, she has “made her bones” on biological and legal nonsense, and her family is wrapped into Chinese drug house money. The implication from Washington is that she may be worthy of federal inquiries into her motivations.
Compounding growing federal interest in her activities, going back years, is the reality that a new governor will be inaugurated in January 2027. That governor may be a Republican. If there are outstanding accountability, oversight, or fair administration issues, unanswered legal questions, that Democrat audit worth review, then legal action could be pursued at the state level.
In tandem with a review of actions taken and not taken by the current AG and Governor, not to mention House and Senate majority leaders, a new US attorney and possible new AG should trigger caution – or at least more Democrat openness and awareness that their moment may be ending.
Yet they seem disinterested even in the appearance of accountability, and just keep barreling on, sure they can fool people, thinking legal precedents go away. The big wheel turns. Caveat Actor.
In the past three decades – elsewhere in the country – state governments have turned over, hundreds of state politicians faced criminal charges for things they thought they could get away with. Federal investigators have taken down governors. Time may come when Mainers reclaim their government. The day is coming. Caveat Actor, “let the doer beware.”
