AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine’s campaign finance watchdog agency voted unanimously on Wednesday to throw out a complaint against a top legislative Republican in a high-profile 2020 election.
The complaint against Assistant House Minority Leader Trey Stewart, R-Presque Isle, has been used against him by Democrats as he challenges Sen. Michael Carpenter, D-Houlton, in a targeted November race. It revolved around payments to Stewart from his political action committee in 2018 and 2019.
But state law is relatively permissive on this issue and allows political action committees to reimburse candidates if they incur expenses related to their role as a legislator. Commissioners found Stewart’s political committee expenses were related to political activity.
The committee reimbursed Stewart for nearly $800 at a tire store in Presque Isle and then $1,000 a year later for services related to tire and vehicle maintenance. It also spent a total of $210 on “spare” clothing from Target in the two years for trips to Augusta, the complaint said.
Jonathan Wayne, the executive director of the Maine Ethics Commission, said clothing and tires are not typical political expenses, but they are not explicitly excluded under state law, he said. Commissioners ultimately felt the reimbursements made sense, given the nature of Stewart’s political work on behalf of Republicans.
Commissioner Meri Lowry, a Democrat from Portland, said it “only makes sense to me” that he would change his tires twice in a year as he drove around the state recruiting Republican candidates. She said there was “nothing here for us to discuss.”
Commissioners also seemed to agree with the assertion from Stewart’s lawyer, Josh Tardy, that the filing may have been politically motivated. Tardy said Maine Democrats have already sent negative mailings out alleging Stewart “committed major campaign violations.”
“Everything [the complainant] has meant to accomplish has happened,” Tardy said.