AUGUSTA, Maine — The state’s Democratic party is alleging for the second time in as many weeks that Sen. Nichi Farnham, R-Bangor, has violated state election law as she campaigns for a second term in the Maine Senate.
The Maine Democratic Party said Wednesday it’s filing a formal complaint with the Maine Ethics Commission alleging that Farnham violated rules surrounding so-called independent expenditures because a political action committee for which Farnham is listed as a principal officer recently purchased $73,000 in television advertising targeting her opponent, Democrat Geoffrey Gratwick, a Bangor doctor and city councilor.
But James Cote, a consultant for the political action committee, the Maine Senate Republican Majority PAC, said Farnham is no longer an officer and that her name was left on committee paperwork due to an administrative oversight.
“It’s extremely questionable,” said Democratic party spokeswoman Lizzy Reinholt. “The sad thing is, I’d hate to see the illegal purchase of airtime have an impact on a campaign whose outcome should be determined by Maine people.”
The Democrats’ ethics complaint stems from $102,000 in TV advertising recently purchased by the Maine Senate Republican Majority PAC that targets Democratic Senate candidates in three districts. The bulk of the ad buy, nearly $73,000, targets Gratwick, according to an expenditure report the PAC filed Wednesday with the Maine Ethics Commission.
The Maine Senate Republican Majority PAC’s registration paperwork, filed with the state Ethics Commission on Feb. 3, lists Farnham and Sen. Thomas Saviello, R-Wilton, as the principal officers and the “primary fundraisers and decision makers.”
Maine election law allows outside groups like political action committees and political parties to make unlimited independent expenditures supporting or opposing candidates as long as the expenditures aren’t coordinated with candidates. Under state election law, if a political committee coordinates an expenditure with a candidate, the expenditure counts as a contribution to the candidate.
Farnham is running as a publicly funded candidate under the Maine Clean Election Act, which means she’s prohibited from accepting any kind of contribution.
“This is an egregious violation of Maine law, and the fact that it has been committed by the chair of the committee responsible for Maine campaign finance laws makes it particularly galling,” Maine Democratic Party chairman Ben Grant said in a statement. Farnham chairs the Legislature’s Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee, which has jurisdiction over election matters that come before the Legislature.
But Cote, the Maine Senate Republican Majority PAC consultant, said in an email Wednesday night that Farnham “has never participated in any discussion regarding independent expenditures from the Maine Senate Republican Majority PAC during this campaign, nor has she ever coordinated any expenditure with that of her own campaign.”
Reached Wednesday, Farnham said she agreed to be listed temporarily as a principal officer for the PAC, but that she never intended to be involved with the committee during the election season. She said she wasn’t aware of the ad buy targeting Gratwick.
“I haven’t been involved because I knew I wouldn’t have time,” she said. “I told them early on I certainly wouldn’t be available to make decisions like that.”
The ethics complaint involving independent expenditures follows a complaint Democrats filed against Farnham last week alleging that she was late in accounting for expenditures related to a television ad she produced for her campaign. Farnham said her campaign treasurer has addressed that issue by amending the campaign’s quarterly finance report.
The ethics complaints against Farnham are the latest sign Democrats are keenly interested in reclaiming the Senate District 32 seat, which covers Bangor and Hermon. Democrats have so far spent $23,000 on campaign mail in the district, most of it opposing Farnham. The party also included Farnham in a TV ad campaign this summer that labeled her as one of five Republican state senators who serve as “rubber stamps” for Gov. Paul LePage.
If she was a man there would be no complaints.. the biggest sexist and bigots are the people who point their fingers at others.
Oh my, that’s sexist in reverse. Of course a lot of male Rs seem to get by with dishonesty.
But she must have participated in the discussions for that humongous campaign sign on the side of the GOP office on Broadway, on the building in front of the old Baldacci’s restaurant. Unbelievable! That ain’t cheap!
Nichi Farnham is an honest person. Here we go again with the BDN trying to blow things out of proportion.
The paper is merely reporting the facts: The Democratic Party filed a complaint against Farnham and Farnham disputes the allegation.
Exactly how is that blowing things out of proportion? The newspaper is merely the messenger.
And a poor one at that.
all you do is bash the BDN, yet you seem to spend a lot of time on their site. You do realize that you are helping to subsidize this business you seem to hate so much, right?
Ya.
I know that.
It’s a rotten job, but sombody has to do it.
Nichi Farnham is an honest candidate. Here we go again with the BDN blowing things out of proportion and sensationalizing another story!!
Uh, the Bangor Daily didn’t file the complaint, the Democratic Party did. All the Bangor Daily has done is report.
Poorly, I might add.
I am a registered independent voter. I have been reading the Bangor Daily News for about 35 years now since I was in my early teens. I have observed over the years that there is nothing “fair and balanced” when it comes to the BDN. When it comes to published articles they seem to always reflect the ideas, views, and leanings of the paper’s reporters and editors. These stories are always the ones with sensationalized headlines.
If you feel that way why have you been reading the paper for 35 years? No one’s forcing you to read it.
Only game in town?
I cancelled my home delivery recently because I don’t care for the bias of the BDN. I got to the point where I didn’t want to subsidize their initiatives anymore. Since they are the “only game in town”, I will read the online version mostly to keep up on local sports and obituaries.
Do you subscribe? Or do you freeload and comment online?
Why do you call it freeload when the paper subsidizes this venue? I subscribe Quoddy Tides because they require it (paid online subscription). BDN does not. Am I a freeloader as well? By the time the printed copy got here it would be a few days old. Is the real deal that you do not agree with the posters viewpoint, and this is the best you can come up with? Why not just state, “I do not agree with what you are saying” and support your viewpoint as to why? What is wrong with civil discourse? Why the attacks?
No such thing as a registered indepedent voter in Maine so how could you have been one for 35 years? Nice try to look unbiased when you spout of about bias, tho.
I guess you missed the part in my post that said I had been reading the newspaper for the last 35 years. And, yes you can be a registered green independent in Maine. Yes,of course no one can register for the “indepedent” party in Maine!!
You didn’t say “Independent,” you said “independent.”
HaHa!! No defensive comment from me. I can laugh at myself!!!
No problem.
Examples, please. And saying “Just read the stories” is not an example.
So Democrats can’t win on the ground with the voters on policy, so they go on a smear campaign using the ethics commission? Wow, that’s gotta be the saddest tactic I’ve seen in awhile.
Seriously? A smear campaign. How so? Rules are rules. That is why you have lawyers to make sure that you are following the rules that you agree to follow.
Unable to run on their records, accomplishment or actual economic fact, Maine’s Democratic Party turns to the usual desperation smear tactics……
Maine Democrats. Like a submarine with a screen door and sinking fast…..
The Democrats are just shameless. Senator Farnham has been a model legislator, and a selfless fighter for the people of her district.
I’m sorry, but when did she stand up to her party’s blatant violation of the Legislature’s duty to act on LePage’s vetoes immediately? How can you be a “model legislator” when you refuse to follow your own rules or take your fellow legislators to task for failing to follow those rules?
Seeing at how much you comment on these articles, I’m surprised you let this one slip by you. Nichi Farnham was one of 3 Senate Republicans who voted to act on his vetoes. And, I’ll mention that, after they did come back in May, she fought for the General Assistance piece that LePage vetoed. So, if that’s not being a model legislator and fighting for her district, I don’t know what is.
http://bangor-launch.newspackstaging.com/2012/04/18/politics/fight-over-lepages-line-item-vetoes-not-over/
Nowhere does the story mention Farnham. As to the reader comment about her, there is nothing that says she spoke out against her party’s dirty pool games.
The results of the informal poll were included: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-gyD7HnIcJt8ZWgt3Wp1nHWNRTDMG0bWowc8P50Jpv0/edit?pli=
I called her up during that week and she told me she wanted to reconvene and if they didn’t, she would make sure the funding would get placed in the budget when they came back in May. She did that, and it worked. If you can’t see that and keep pointing to “reader comments”, then that is your problem because she’s doing a great job.
Wow, an informal internet poll so it must be true.
Where did she speak out against her party’s action?
your party had the whole show for years, Blaine House, both houses and YOU GUYS flushed us down the toilet. now when someone honest like Farnham tries to fix the mess YOU created, you guys have to resort to character assassination to win elections
Honest? Maybe not.
“You guys”? Where have I disclosed whether I’m a Democrat or a Republican, or an independent?
you are trashing a lady who is running against one of the most hard core liberals in the state. think i am safe to presume you are not a conservative
I’m not trashing her. I’m critiquing her performance. There’s a big difference.
By the way, I signed her nomination petition the first time she ran, and I voted for her.
NOT!
She voted to end same-day voter registration. She is just another lock-step Republican. She will not be getting my vote in this election.
And to put a scarlet letter on EBT recipients by supporting a measure to require them to show identification when buying basic necessities, when one of the reasons for EBT cards was to make transactions discreet.
You obviously are just a Democrat trying to lie about Nichi some more. The photo ID for EBT recipients didn’t even pass. Last I saw anything, it was a study or something that didn’t even get anywhere.
So we excuse legislators for supporting bad ideas if the idea is voted down? Where’s the personal responsibility in that?
I can see it now: Legislator — “Yeah, I supported the bill, but my colleagues rejected it, so you can’t use that against me!”
that was to prevent some people from selling their foodstamps for pennies on the dollar
Or so supporters of the idea say.
Think about it this way: Yes, it is wrong, legally and morally, to sell your EBT benefits. I don’t condone it at all. However, when it comes to the food stamp portion, in the end somebody’s getting food. Are we going to go after people who use food benefits to prepare a Thanksgiving dinner for themselves and others? Are we going to go after the grandfather who buys a grandson a treat on a hot summer day?
not at all. we should go after the persons who sell their EBT benefits for 25 cents on the dollar to buy booze or dope
What people are you talking about?… Nichi voted to cut taxes on the very rich, increase the tax burden of the middle class and screw the poor amongst us on all issues that effect her voting district. ….Small businesses who still pay medical benefits in most part of the state got screwed royally on costs .
Who cares? Just the other day, both Gratwick and Farnham came to my door (which is great to have in such a big city with both candidates). Gratwick talked about how great Obamacare was and how much we have to have government spend more in order to spread the prosperity around. It was all partisan politics that I didn’t care about. When Nichi came to my door, she asked how I was doing, what my key issues are, and then we started talking about how great the Journey concert was the other night. She was much more of a real person and I can trust her to make down to earth, common sense decisions. Sure, I probably don’t agree with some of her votes, but I’d rather have that and be able to trust her than vote for Gratwick and know that he’ll be going to Augusta with a liberal agenda.
Um, I care? I know it’s wacky to concern oneself with matters of law and ethics and attention to details, Sue. I guess it is important to vote for the people we like as people, rather than for those whom we think will do a superior job whether we like him or her or not. But I sure do dread having to tell my young adult children one day that there’s no family
money to pay for healthcare because some lady thought one candidate’s
affinity for an 80’s hair band meant more than another candidate’s grasp
of the issues facing us.
You’re missing the point. I would rather have a real, well rounded person in there than someone who will get all political every time they see me on the street. After all, it is a legislature made up of citizen representatives, so they should be like all of us!
The Legislature isn’t a social club.
If the Legislature isn’t a social club, the White House certainly is. How else did a freshman senator with very little to put on a presidential resume get into office? I know Nichi personally. She is not a social butterfly. She is and has been a caring individual that brings her constituents issues to Augusta. She has done nothing to warrant not being re-elected, other than the far left wanting to replace her with their own brand.
Like the air force fighter pilot lingo “cmy6”. Clever!
Um, Obama won because we voted him into office. You may find this hard to believe, but a lot of those who voted for him did so because of his ideology and proposals — and because he wasn’t a Washington insider.
Romney isn’t any more or less qualified to become president. Just keep in mind that running a company is nothing like being president of the United States. Too many people make the mistake of thinking government is just like a business. It is not.
Ya.
In business, 2+2 really does = 4
Yeah, actually it is..
http://bangor-launch.newspackstaging.com/2012/05/04/politics/police-tried-to-isolate-brunswick-lawmaker-accused-of-harassment-during-breakup-with-belfast-legislator/
Farnham kneels before Charlie Webster and votes however he tells her. What is more political than that? Check her record and floor debate. She says next to nothing in debates, but always votes with LePage and Webster.
Very, very true. Just go look at these so-called Independent Republican’s who claim to vote their conscience and for the benefit of their constituent’s and then go look at what Webster says to the press. See just how so-called independent these same Republican’s are after that by checking their voting record’s. We might have been on the truck but not this morning and we do know what that bottle of Chanel # 5 is covering. 2014 is coming ……………
And she didn’t even know she had to run again this year. That’s how much she knows about the political process. And don’t come back and say theat’s not true, because she said it directly to me.
The above comments brought to you by the “I’m about to get my tail handed to me, so I better pull something out of my _____” Committee…chaired by Desperado Grant….
If Maine citizens want to keep the good governance of the past two years moving forward, Vote for Senator Farnham….If you want to go back to a government run solely on ideology, without regard to common sense, Vote for…..whoever is running against her…
This is TRUE. Farnham didn’t even realize she had a TWO YEAR term. She thought she had a FOUR YEAR term from what I understand. WOW. Talk about DISENGAGED and UNINFORMED.
You have a PHONY in there who tells people what they want to hear and then votes with Paul LePage almost all the time. She is TRICKY NICKY the SNAKE OIL SALESMAN.
The scary thing is that it’s minds like Sue’s that tip the scale in an election. How do you think we ended up with Penguin?
I like your comment. But LePage is nothing like anybody I have ever known.
And Obama.
Telling your “adult children” that you have no money to pay for their healthcare is going to be the least of your worries.
So because a candidate didn’t talk about issues, you will vote for that candidate? Seriously?
When I see something like this I always wonder how much more is there that hasn’t been made public yet ??? Cheating and lying are a slippery slope… the experts would be Nichi’s political superiors/political bosses lepage and webster. So sorry she got caught . She should accept responsibility for it and move on.
Funny how I see more negative political ads in my mail box bashing Nichi Farnham. In fact that is the only negative ads I have seen in awhile in my mailbox when it comes to this race. And they are worried about a TV add? Hmmm.
Wait, it’s early. Last two weeks of this election cycle and you’ll think the sky is falling.
If you have ever watched or gone to a Bangor City Council meeting, Dr. Gratwick can argue with himself for hours. Mrs. Farnham is bright,personable and considerate while vehemently supporting her views.
Been at those Council Meetings you refer to and Dr. Gratwick can certainly carry on a dry conversation for quite some time…..a couple of meetings I was tempted to poke myself in the eye with a pen so I would have had a reason to leave….
But are her views good for the state as a whole?
I think so and will vote for her.
I don’t want them to be good for the state as a whole. She’s running to represent me in Hermon and the people in Bangor.
Yes, she represents you. But that does not mean she’s supposed to ignore her duty to enact legislation that benefits the state. We have senators and representatives because we live in a representative democracy and it’s not practical for all residents of the state to draft legislation and vote on every bill.
So, if there is a bill that will be mostly be good for the state overall, but through some formula, it ends up being terrible for a small part of the state, should those representatives vote for it? Anybody who’s taken civics with Roger Reed at Bangor High School knows that there are multiple voting characteristics of legislators. Some vote simply to benefit their district, while some say vote for the whole state even though it won’t be good for their own district. Most, and I believe Nichi is part of this, are in the middle. I like the fact that she knows how to think and ask the right questions when it comes to Bangor or Hermon getting the short end of the stick.
republic not a democracy
Please re-read what I said.
For me the real question is: why is a PAC spending $73,000 in a Maine State Senate race? That’s absurd. What a waste of money. I’m sure most of that money came from groups outside the district. I believe it is time to get money out of politics.
Of course, Nichi voted to weaken the rules of our Clean Elections system last year. Now it all comes full circle.
I am not impressed that people are dragging Nichi’s name through the mud- i’ve had the opportunity to speak to Nichi a few times and I have to say i’m definitely impressed. I wish these dirty articles/ads would stop.
It’s not a “dirty” article. It’s the truth — the Democratic Party filed a complaint. Nowhere does the reporter say she broke the law, just that the Democratic Party believes she broke the law.
This is NOT news show me a Republican that doesn’t break rules or laws NOW that would be news.
And a democrat too
Ever heard of Paul Violette? How about John Martin’s two top lackeys who were convicted and JAILED for election fraud? The Maine Dems have retired the trophy for breaking the law.
Yep I agree the Dems are trying hard but have a lot of catching up to do. Just to get to the point that they can see the Republicans in front of them will take a lot more. But to be fair the Republicans have had a lot more practice at being corrupt so it is inevitable that they would hold a big lead.
And, how about Charlies Webster and Summers and their Diligent Dig into “Voter Fraud” — NOT! And, Robert Nutting who got away with robbing the state of seven figure pharmacy bills and now serves as Speaker of the House? Quid pro quo?
Good ole Nichi. The kids done well for herself. She might not be the sharpest R we have but she sure is better than her opponent. I’m sorry but anyone that knows Gratwick knows (I removed it moderator). Bangor is a big small town and the word might not travel fast, but it travels.
More illegal crap from the Republians….. what else is new. If they cannot win by cheating they rig the vote.
The democRAT spin machine at it’s finest.
” I’d hate to see the illegal purchase of airtime have an impact on a campaign whose outcome should be determined by Maine people.”
Are voters from other states being allowed to vote in Maine now ???
Yet, the dems don’t seem to think it’s wrong for college students temporarily living in Maine (and likely still voting in their home state) to cast their vote here.
Speaking of spin … (getting dizzy)
For some people, dizzy is normal.
Emphasizing “rat” undermines your argument.
Let me rephrase that;
The party that starts with a D and ends with RAT spin machine at it’s finest.
Nichi Farnham would never do anything underhanded or illegal, so this is another liberal and media scare to the public to get a conservative out of office.
How do you know? Once again, this is a report about the DParty action. Take it up with them (a lot of shoot the messenger again).
All because you say so?
I hate the 2 party system but I have high regards for Dr. Gratwick. He even was the recipient of the peace prize in the sixties. A very honorable gentlemen. What continues to go on is just another example of how corrupt our entire system is and we need to somehow, change it. It is so foolish to continue to bash the parties when we all need to be voting for the person, regardless.
Wish I had 73 grand to throw away.
Go Nichi. Good luck in your race for re-election.
Here’s the rub: Nichi Farnham chose to have her campaign financed by the taxpayers of Maine. She agreed to run a Clean Election Campaign but clearly had the ability to raise significant traditional contributions without help from public finances. Yet in accepting public funding she pledged to limit her campaign spending. This situation illustrates a grave problem with Political Action Committees specifically and the entire arena of campaign financing in general.
Given the admittedly close connection between Senator Farnham and the Maine Senate Republican Majority PAC (regardless of when she resigned her position) the decision to spend such a huge amount of money on TV advertising specifically targeting her Democratic opponent should have raise a big red flag with the PAC’s present leadership.
Ben Grant is properly outraged and completely justified in calling such activity to the attention of the Ethics Committee. Examining these situations is one of the reasons why the Ethics Committee exists.
This isn’t about who’s the nicest candidate to chat with or whether the PAC made a simple mistake in not removing Farnham’s name in a timely manner. According to the article, since it’s creation last February, she has been one of two “primary fundraiser(s) and decision maker(s).” That’s a bit more than a casual participant or uninterested contributor.
In matters of ethics violations, the mere appearance of impropriety is something that requires attention. The Maine Senate Republican Majority PAC bears the brunt of this blunder. But Senator Farnham, giving her full credit for her side of the story (i.e. that it was only a “temporary” positon), made huge error of judgment in even allowing her name to be used as a principal.
She should be banned from running for any office.
So because an opponent of hers says she is bad, you will out of hand believe them, and disavow her as a politician? (I dare say you likely hold the same opposing political view as her accusers…) So, by that nature, I disagree with your comment, so I feel that you should be banned from commenting on BDN websites. Fair?
So you must be God know!!!!! But thanks for reading my comment.
She is an officer of a political action committee that illegally contributed to her publicly financed campaign. No one disputes these facts. She also ran the dirtiest campaign that I have seen during her last election and it appears she is following the same route this time.
Why?
And by the way, it would be unconstitutional for the state to ban someone from running for office, absent a specific reason expressed in the Constitution itself.
But is it constitutional to break the rules.
For more info: the sign on the outside of the Republican Victory Center on Broadway was there 2 years ago with “Levesque for Congress”on it–and it was not taken down, so perhaps the owner of the building leased it–and left it there for future renters.
I have met Nichi Farnham and know that she is a lady of integrity, passion for her city, state and country and that the D’s want her out, so I do not believe any of the hype displayed in the article.
Nichi…Say it ain’t so…. Please Say you didn’t take out an illegal $70,000.00 political ad. Please say you didn’t do it.
This is like Mitt at Bain, per both of them “I had nothing to do with nothing, so help me god, it is all a mistake”.
TRICKY NICKY STRIKES AGAIN. Folks, she is a right winger who has sided with Paul LePage on 92% of her votes. that is enough to deny her re-election right there. She is now in desperation mode, and she should have known full well that she was still associated with this PAC and taken care of it BEFORE they did what they are doing with these rotten ads. VOTE FOR GEOFF GRATWICK whose values actually match those of the district, and not for TRICKY NICKY who sides constantly with Paul LePage. She even touted the effort to remove same day voter registration. How awful !