AUGUSTA, Maine — A York County lawmaker resigned from his House seat on Tuesday, about two months after the Maine Ethics Commission found that he committed multiple violations of the state’s Clean Election law.
Rep. David R. Burns, R-Alfred, also will face criminal charges next week in connection with his campaign conduct, according to the Maine Attorney General’s Office.
House Speaker Robert Nutting of Oakland announced Burns’ resignation.
“Earlier [Tuesday], I spoke with David Burns of Alfred who informed me that he is resigning from his position as state representative, effective immediately,” Nutting said in a statement. “The announcement follows the completion of the Attorney General’s investigation into Burns’ alleged mishandling of Clean Election funds.
“I believe this is the appropriate step for him to take, as we Republicans insist our members maintain the highest ethical standards possible.
In late November, the Maine Ethics Commission ruled that Burns committed numerous violations of the Maine Clean Election Act during his 2010 campaign.
Burns was a first-time House member who was elected in November 2010. He represented House District 138 and the towns of Alfred, Limerick, Newfield and Shapleigh.
As a Clean Election candidate, he received public funds to run his campaign and in return was subject to strict guidelines for how those funds were spent and how the expenditures were recorded.
An audit report revealed, among other things, that Burns co-mingled campaign finances with personal finances, falsified receipts, used public money for personal expenses and failed to accurately report expenditures.
Walter McKee, who is chairman of the Ethics Commission, called Burns’ misconduct “mind-boggling.” McKee also said he was bothered by what he called “righteous indignation” by Burns and his campaign staff when the audit report first was revealed.
The Ethics Commission ordered Burns to pay back $2,285 in public funds that he did not use for his campaign and also recommended a fine of between $5,000 and $10,000.
At the time, commission members also recommended that the Maine Attorney General’s Office investigate the conduct for possible criminal prosecution.
AG spokeswoman Brenda Kielty confirmed Tuesday that the criminal investigation was complete and said her office would initiate formal charges by next week. She did not specify what those charges would be.
Some Democrats have been calling for Burns’ resignation for weeks. House Minority Leader Emily Cain of Orono lobbied another plea Tuesday, not long before Nutting broke the news.
“I’m relieved to see that Rep. Burns finally resigned his seat after months of controversy around his abuse of Clean Elections funds,” Cain said in a press release after Burns’ resignation Tuesday. “No lawmaker — Republican or Democrat — is above the law. We must be held to higher standard and should not tolerate the abuse of taxpayer dollars.”
All along, Nutting has said he would wait for the Attorney General’s Office to finish its investigation before suggesting any action.
“Regrettably, Representative Emily Cain issued a press release this morning, calling for Burns’ resignation before there had been a resolution to the matter,” the speaker said. “I felt it was more appropriate to proceed with the presumption of innocence for Representative Burns while the investigation was ongoing.”
A special election likely will be held in the coming months to fill his House seat.
Gotta play by the rules.
Tell that to the Governor
Governor you gotta play by the rules.
I think he did this :OP
Nutting states: “I believe this is the appropriate step for him to take, as we Republicans insist our members maintain the highest ethical standards possible.” How does Nutting make such comments with a straight face or even look at himself in a mirror, when he committed fraud to the tune of over a million dollars. Different standards for different folks, I guess.
Why didn’t he censure him until the AG’s report came out. It would have prevented alot of democratic demands. I say he should pay back any salary he got and have it sent to Clean Elections as repayment.
Oh, I forgot, Nutting’s majority is only 6 seats, he probably needed the vote.
Burn’s defense. “Those darn lazy slacker healthcare wanting poor people ate up all my campaign finances!” Hope this doesn’t hinder the AG’s efforts to make a quick and fair decision on Mr. Poliquin’s legal issues as well. After all we gotta route out ALL the fraud going on in Augusta, right?
Burns is only getting an early start on the mass exodus of Republican Legislators as they leave the State Capitol for the final time ever in April. Just think 100 years from now a small child will look up at his great grandfather and ask, “What is a republican grampy?” The great grandfather will look down upon the child and answer, “An extinct type of politician that died off back in the early 2000 from drinking way too much tea and for not listening to the people who elected them. “
LOL! Like the Kings and Queens of old who ruled without any passion for the plight of their people and received their just rewards. Now just dust in the wind.
“mass exodus of Republican Legislators”. Well the Liberals better get those who voted in LePage and those who voted them out in the Legislature to vote them back in. I don’t see that happening. They also better get the other 50+% of the Maine people who didn’t vote for anyone the last election to vote as well. Your sounding overconfident don’t count anything out you may not like the results you get either.
Fear 37 % ?
I wouldn’t get over confident the Liberals thought they had the last election in the bag. How did that turn out ???. The people want economic change and a philosophic change in Augusta. The Liberals think that their policies are good for Maine. Look where it has taken us. To dead last Economically, 75% of our schools are failing, our roads and bridges are awful you can’t go 50 ft without hitting huge potholes , bumps etc. that causes damage to vehicles. They have turned this state into a Welfare Haven where everyone is coming into Maine to get government handouts. A restrictive Nanny State where people can’t do anything because it’s always illegal where Liberals Augusta is telling us how to live our lives. Though they can’t run our state and manage their own lives nevermind anyone elses. If that is what you want it proves to me your afraid Lepage is going to cut your freebies waahhh. Time to cut spending time to cut all handouts.
“I wouldn’t get over confident…”
We are not.
Your conservative movement and its policies have a 12 year long record of (non) performance, now.
Ignore that reality at your own peril, “waahhh”.
Now if only people will remember these Republican ethics violations in November.
And, declared bankruptcy to avoid having to pay any of it back! And, the Rs elect him as their top dog? Yeah, “highest ethical standards possible”, indeed!!
Why do you continue to be a dead horse. When are we going to get Democrats such as Emily Cain, several Biddeford politicians including former mayor and state rep. Joanne Twomey and other Augusta Liberals to pay back the home weatherization money. Cain and her husband also a former Dem State Rep. made out like bandits using tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars had energy audits and work done on their home to save money for them. They took money from a program which was intended for low income folks the Libs always claim are getting hurt.
You don’t seem to understand the weatherization program. Anyone can pay for an audit and then pay a professional to do the work. Low income people do get audits and work done for free. Plus, I don’t think Emily Cain’s husband was ever a legislator.
Really this program was designed for Low Income folks but Democrats who are tied to Augusta got all the money. So it is ok for Emily Cain who has always lived on our tax dollars since she moved here to Maine to mooch off of this program as well. Other Democrat Legislators from Southern Maine and Democrat Party leaders took advantage of this “Low Income Program”. It stinks to high heaven hopefully LePage cuts every Welfare Program and all Wasted Liberal Program Spending because it is not needed and just more waste of our tax dollars.
Stove calling the kettle black?
They are all crooks….
How many state senators and representatives, in total? Counting down . . .
Must say i was relieved to hear this was a republican and not a democrat… Would not of heard the end of it if it was a democrat.. But with the media circus out there with these Repubs I’m not that surprised.. I haven’t found any repubs that are honest and trustworthy this year…
Yes a blessed relief! And deeply satisfying! Isn’t it strange so many familiar, sun stroked, and ego addled fans from the bleacher seats in far, far, right field are quiet on this one. No doubt having a tough time reconciling human failings with one of their own.
Great job Walter McKee-thank you
Burns must have been in hypocrisy heaven to have ROBert Nutting talk to him about resigning in the wake of breaking the law. I wonder if ROB gave him some tips on how to steal in the future and still be named Speaker of the House.
“…we Republicans insist our members maintain the highest ethical standards possible,” says Mistah Speakah. One wonders whether it might make more sense to the rest of us if he were to omit the word “possible,” or mightn’t that be too high a hurdle for the gentleman from Oakland?
Hopefully Mr. Burns will take this opportunity to work on his mustache, wardrobe, and double chin.
If only these people could see the fraud of the war on drugs as they see the fraud in this case.
Another Crook gone. Wonder if he was a Tea Party Crook or just another Rethuglican Crook.
Since the ethic commissions finding this guy has been a political dead man walking. But he clung to his seat like a limpet. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
Why do these politicians believe they can do anything they want. The laws don’t apply to them?
G’won-git!!!
“Rep. David R. Burns, R-Alfred, also will face criminal charges next week in connection with his campaign conduct”
Duh! Did he think he wasn’t going to get caught?
Damn right winger…. He has been caught….Time is up…
One down many more yet to come. Looks like jail time would do his body good. He might be able to lose a couple hundred lbs.
Bye bye boss hog. One less crook and fool in the state house…………progress.
Too much, you couldn’t even write this!
“”I believe this is the appropriate step for him to take, as we Republicans insist our members maintain the highest ethical standards possible,” said House Speaker Robert Nutting, R-Oakland”
So give back the money you stole from the state, Nutting! “Ethical standards” and “Nutting” used in the same sentence. That’s a stretch.
Is Cynthia Dill next?
About time.
If we believed the media, this guy is presidential material, just like Newt.
Ron Paul, because integrity matters.