Here at The Maine Wire, we consider it our responsibility to bring the public news they would not otherwise read in the state’s mainstream media. Call it duty, responsible journalism, or simply fairness, it is part of our continuing mission. Bearing this in mind, here is a recaps of some stories we’ve run in recent months that appeared no where else in Maine’s media — even if, perhaps, they should have:
Alleged Sexual Assault and Drug Incident at Bonny Eagle High School
A 19-year-old former Bonny Eagle High School student, Ali K. Al-Shammari of Buxton, was arrested in February for allegedly raping a 15-year-old female student in a unisex bathroom at the school in September of last year.
Charged with two counts of gross sexual assault, Al-Shammari was released on $2,500 bail with conditions to avoid the school and the victim.
Just one day after the alleged assault, he narrowly avoided consequences for possessing illegal drugs when Principal Theodore Finn, unaware of the assault, dismissed him after a brief meeting about carrying large amounts of cash, according to Al-Shammari’s social media posts.
A Title IX investigation confirmed the assault and additional unwanted sexual contact, leading to his expulsion last year.
Alarming Surge in Abuse Allegations Against Adults with Disabilities in MaineCare Programs
In fiscal year 2024, Maine’s Medicaid program reported 2,157 allegations of abuse, neglect, and exploitation targeting adults with intellectual disabilities or autism enrolled in MaineCare’s Home & Community-Based Service (HCBS) Waiver programs (Sections 21 and 29), serving just 6,060 individuals.
The “2025-2026 Biennial Plan for Adults with Intellectual Disabilities or Autism” from the Office of Aging and Disability Services (OADS) details 815 caretaker neglect cases, 330 emotional abuse cases, and 301 physical abuse cases, with 206 allegations substantiated, including a 15% substantiation rate for caretaker neglect.
Despite the significant $627.6 million spent on these programs in 2023, the report offers minimal policy changes, noting only new Adult Protective Services (APS) rules effective April 2024 that adjust substantiation standards, potentially lowering future rates.
Resurfaced DOJ Memo Revives Allegations of Cocaine Use by Janet Mills
A 1995 U.S. Department of Justice memo, recently uncovered by Fox News, has reignited 37-year-old allegations that Maine Governor Janet Mills used cocaine while serving as Androscoggin County District Attorney in the late 1980s.
The memo from the Office of Professional Responsibility refutes Mills’ long-standing claim that the 1988-1990 investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, DEA, and Maine’s Bureau of Intergovernmental Drug Enforcement was politically motivated, deeming it “proper” and her accusations “unsubstantiated.” No charges were filed against Mills.
The controversy garnered even more attention earlier this week when a reporter ambushed Mills, asking the governor ““Is sniffing cocaine at work a human right, Janet?”
“How much more does an eight-ball cost with inflation? Is sniffing cocaine at work a human right, Janet?”
The question prompted an expletive-laden outburst from the governor: “What the f—!”
This incident, came fresh on the heels of her being heckled and booed relentlessly at a recent Farmington moose hunt lottery event.
Maine Wildlife Chief’s Ex-Husband Avoids Charges in Dark Web Drug Scandal
At the 2025 moose hunt lottery, Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Commissioner Judith Camuso inadvertently confirmed an incident involving her ex-husband, Stephen S. Walker.
Walker was a former IF&W Resource Supervisor who used a state-issued device to attempt purchasing drugs on the dark web. This act was illegal and was uncovered by the state’s Office of Information Technology.
Despite awareness by Camuso, Warden Service Col. Dan Scott, and HR Director Amanda Beckwith, the incident was not reported to law enforcement. Instead, Walker was placed on paid administrative leave in 2023, receiving $45.4k, before transitioning to a brief role as Director of Land for Maine’s Future (LMF), where he earned $42.8k.
Walker, whose then-wife was Cumberland County District Attorney Jacqueline Sartoris, later worked briefly at the Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust. No charges were filed.
No-Bid Contracts to Maine Nonprofits Linked to Democratic Voter Outreach Efforts
A Maine Wire and Robinson Report investigation revealed that the Community Organizing Alliance (COA), a left-wing nonprofit group focused on mobilizing immigrant and minority voters, and its affiliates received nearly $10 million in no-bid contracts from the Mills Administration between 2022 and 2024, funded by federal COVID-19 relief money.
Key figures, including COA advisory board members Abdullahi Ali of Gateway Community Services and Fatuma Hussein of the Immigrant Resource Center of Maine, secured contracts to hire Community Health Outreach Workers (CHOWs) who provided services like groceries and welfare sign-ups while maintaining voter databases.
COA’s “Your Vote = Your Power” campaign in 2022 and 2024 contacted thousands of voters in Lewiston and Portland, coordinating rides to polls. The Maine CDC’s Office of Population Health Equity and DHHS also awarded hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to these groups in recent years.
Whistleblowers Allege Systemic Medicaid Fraud at Gateway Community Services
Former employees of Gateway Community Services, a migrant-run social services agency in Maine, have accused the organization of systematically inflating Medicaid billings for at least five years, according to a Robinson Report investigation.
A 2015-2017 audit by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) found Gateway overbilled MaineCare by nearly $1 million, a debt unpaid as of 2022, yet the agency continued to receive $28.8 million in MaineCare funds from 2019 to 2024 and additional no-bid contracts from the Mills Administration.
Whistleblower Christopher Bernardini, a former billing specialist, alleged manipulation of electronic visit verification (EVV) records and physical timecards, including forged client signatures and inflated hours, to maximize reimbursements.
Two other former employees corroborated these claims, describing a scheme to bill for unprovided services, particularly among immigrant staff and clients. Despite a history of violations, Gateway’s political ties to Gov.Janet Mills, Rep. Deqa Dhalac and other top Democrats may have shielded it from scrutiny.
