PARIS - An assault charge against Seth Carey, the Rumford lawyer backing a pending statewide referendum on a private casino in Oxford County, has been dropped.

Oxford County Assistant District Attorney Joe O'Connor said the case had been referred to the Maine Attorney General's Office, where it was determined the case against Carey wasn't strong enough.

"The decision was made not to prosecute," O'Connor said.

On April 16, Carey, 33, resigned his position with the casino campaign as the charge became public. He also stepped down from his post as president of Evergreen Mountain Enterprises, the limited liability corporation he formed to own and operate the casino if it's approved by voters in November.

"I realize certain legal matters in my hometown could become a distraction to the casino referendum I authored," Carey said in a written statement at the time. "My goal was to get this issue into the hands of the people so that a vigorous debate could take place in the coming months."

The misdemeanor assault charge was issued against Carey on March 18 by Rumford police.

Police Chief Stacy Carter said Wednesday that he believed the case against Carey was strong but said it would be up to prosecutors to decide whether to go forward with it.

Carey still faces complaints lodged against him by two local attorneys and a judge alleging that he may have behaved unethically, violating the Maine Bar Association's Code of Professional Responsibility. Two of the complaints were lodged by former Rumford town attorney Jennifer Kreckel, who has since been replaced as town counsel by Carey's father, Thomas Carey.

Seth Carey appeared before the Grievance Commission of the Board of Overseers of the Bar, the sanctioning agency for lawyers in Maine, twice in April. The disciplinary hearing will continue Wednesday, May 14, in Portland.

Once the hearings are concluded, Bar counsel will take the testimony under advisement and issue a ruling. The counsel could dismiss some or all of the complaints, issue a public reprimand against Carey, dismiss the complaints with a warning, or make a finding of possible cause for suspension or disbarment.

Carey declined comment when contacted by phone Friday.