Let’s be clear: the collapse of Gateway Communities did not come out of nowhere.
It happened on Janet Mills’ watch, after years of warnings, known overbilling, and willful state inaction.
Now, 30 employees have been furloughed, told to apply for unemployment, and effectively discarded after the Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) finally shut off the taxpayer spigot. The workers are furious and they should be. Because the state knew. And it did nothing.
Janet Mills Knew to Let It Continue Anyway
Governor Janet Mills was well aware of Gateway Communities’ problems. The organization was caught overbilling as early as 2018. That alone should have triggered aggressive oversight, audits, leadership changes, or defunding.
Instead:
- Gateway kept receiving taxpayer money
- The Mills administration kept signing checks
- No meaningful intervention occurred
For seven years.
That’s not an oversight failure. That’s a governance failure.
Silence, Stonewalling, and Dodging the Press
For months, The Maine Wire has asked the Mills administration direct, basic questions:
- When was the last time the state reviewed Gateway’s finances?
- Who signed off on continued funding after prior violations?
- Who in state government was responsible for monitoring compliance?
Mills has refused to answer.
Not delayed. Not clarified. Dodged.
When a governor won’t answer questions about millions in public funds, the question becomes unavoidable: what is she protecting — and who?
Shenna Bellows Wasn’t in the Dark Either
Secretary of State Shenna Bellows was also aware of the growing concerns surrounding Gateway Communities and nonprofit accountability. Yet there was no public alarm, no transparency push, no effort to warn workers or taxpayers.
Silence again.
Employees Pay the Price — While Leadership Disappears
Last week, Gateway representatives claimed they “care about people.”
This week, with funding cut, they’ve gone into hiding.
Employees say leadership has vanished. Phones unanswered. No press conferences. No accountability.
If this organization was legitimate, why did its leaders disappear the moment state money stopped flowing?
And where is Abdullahi Ali, The CEO Gateway’s operations? Is he even in the country?
Nathan Davis, Executive Director was no where to be found this week, when this reporter visited both the Lewiston and Portland offices.
The Question Mills Refuses to Answer
Here is the question Governor Mills still won’t address:
When was the last time anyone from the State of Maine actually checked in on Gateway Communities — knowing it had already been caught overbilling?
If the answer is “years ago,” that’s negligence.
If the answer is “recently,” then why was nothing done until now?
Either way, the blame leads back to the governor’s office.
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This Was Preventable — And That’s the Scandal
The workers didn’t fail.
The clients didn’t fail.
The state failed.
Janet Mills had the authority, the information, and the time to act. She chose not to. And now, instead of accountability at the top, rank-and-file workers are filing for unemployment while taxpayers are left wondering how much money was wasted and why no one is being held responsible.
Until Governor Mills explains why her administration kept funding a known problem for years, this isn’t just a Gateway Communities scandal.
It’s a Janet Mills scandal.
