LEWISTON, Maine – Lewiston City Councilor and state Rep. Scott Harriman is facing a third formal censure by the City Council after allegedly interrupting a fellow councilor during a recent workshop and using obscene language during the exchange.
The proposed resolution, requested for council consideration by Mayor Carl Sheline and Council President David Chittim, centers on Harriman’s conduct during the May 12 City Council workshop.
According to the resolution, Councilor Susan Longchamps held the floor when Harriman interrupted her and engaged her directly without being recognized by the presiding officer. During that exchange, the resolution states, Harriman was heard using obscene language.
The resolution cites City Council rules requiring councilors to conduct themselves with civility and decorum, speak only after being recognized by the presiding officer, confine remarks to the matter under debate, direct comments through the presiding officer unless otherwise permitted, and avoid indecorous language or personal attacks.
The proposed resolution concludes that Harriman’s conduct fell far outside the bounds of civility and decorum and calls for him to be censured for failing to follow council rules.
The agenda information sheet accompanying the resolution states that Sheline and Chittim requested the matter be placed before the council for review and consideration. The requested action is for councilors to adopt the resolution censuring Harriman, who represents Ward 3.
The latest disciplinary action comes during what has been a difficult year for Harriman, who serves simultaneously as a Lewiston city councilor, the City Council’s representative to the School Committee, and a member of the Maine House of Representatives.
If approved, the resolution would mark the third time Harriman has been formally censured by his fellow Lewiston councilors.
City Councilor Susan Longchamps told the Maine Wire “While serving as a city councilor can be challenging and emotions may run high, professionalism and respect must remain the standard. In my view, repeated censures should carry more meaningful consequences than they currently do. Councilor Harriman’s conduct during our last meeting was concerning, and I believe accountability is important to maintaining the integrity of the council.”
In October 2023, the council censured Harriman after determining that he had deliberately misrepresented facts and sought to damage the integrity, character and reputation of a fellow councilor.
Two years later, in October 2025, the council again censured Harriman after he communicated about city business with a city employee through a Signal message thread designed to delete messages. The council determined that the deleted communications were not preserved for public inspection and that Harriman had failed to adhere to Maine law and the council’s stated commitment to transparency.
Harriman has also faced criticism this year over his conduct toward Benjamin Dyer, a survivor of the Lewiston mass shooting, during emotional public testimony before the City Council.
Dyer, who was shot five times during the October 2023 massacre, appeared before the council while it considered a proposal involving the needs of survivors and victims’ families. During his testimony, Dwyer called out Harriman for failing to look at him as he described his injuries and the lasting impact of the shooting.
The incident drew criticism from attendees who said Harriman’s behavior toward a survivor speaking publicly about his trauma was disrespectful.
Harriman later faced additional scrutiny after initiating a cease harassment notice against Lewiston residents Lisa and Andrew Jones. The notice was later voided by the Lewiston Police Department after officers determined that the interactions at issue occurred while Harriman was acting in his capacity as an elected official.
The proposed third censure also comes as Lewiston continues to confront serious concerns about violence in the city, including repeated shootings that have left residents demanding answers and stronger leadership from elected officials.
Despite holding three public positions, city councilor, School Committee representative and state legislator, Harriman has faced mounting questions about his conduct, his treatment of residents and fellow officials, and his response to the public safety concerns weighing on Lewiston families.
Now, the City Council will decide whether Harriman’s alleged behavior during the May 12 workshop represents another violation serious enough to warrant a formal rebuke.
For Harriman, a third censure would represent more than another political embarrassment. It would mark yet another official finding by his own colleagues that his conduct has failed to meet the standards expected of those entrusted to serve the people of Lewiston.
Harriman is the poster child of entitlement. This is the guy who had lots to say in criticism of more conservative council members earlier, but now in no way lives up to the standard of behavior himself Lewiston deserves. He is petty, immature, unprepared for meetings, and clearly in over his head. Being censured on the very liberal Lewiston City Council is the equivalent of the “strongly worded letter”, big deal. This City Council should be renamed the “Do Nothing” Council outside of ignore real issues, spend an inordinate amount of time on “Emergency Measures” like not cooperating with ICE Officials, raising taxes (just wait property owners, it’s coming to pay for increased spending), and actively be Anti-business. In the meantime crackheads, drug dealers, and homeless rule.
The laws protect those whom you do not like so as to protect you — reluctantly, I must point out that obscenities are protected by the first amendment and the Maine state constitution. Likewise, only imminent and explicit threats can be punished, everything else is also protected.
What happened to Laurel Libby is a clear explanation of why defending the rights of schmucks like this is so important….