LEWISTON – Democrats and Republicans traded charges Monday following the revelation that a well-known Lewiston Republican notarized petitions seeking to get presidential candidate Ralph Nader on the ballot in Maine this fall.

Documents show that Stavros Mendros, a notary public who is currently campaigning as a Republican for the State House, notarized signature petitions for supporters of Nader, who is running as an independent candidate for president.

Bill Brown, of the America Coming Together office in Lewiston, said Monday that Mendros’ actions raise questions about whether Republicans helped Nader get on the Maine ballot. Political experts say Nader’s presence on the ballot could draw votes away from Democratic candidate John Kerry, helping George W. Bush’s campaign. ACT is a group formed to help defeat Republicans, especially Bush.

Maine Republicans shot back that they had nothing to do with helping Nader, and they criticized Democrats for trying to thwart democracy.

“Dwayne Bickford (head of Maine’s Republican Party) has said a number of times that Republicans were not involved in this fish gathering,” Brown said, referring to the Nader petitions. “When you look at Mendros’ involvement as someone who notarized about 20 percent of the Nader petitions, it does raise questions about how much Republicans and the Republican Party contributed to Nader ballots in Maine,” Brown said, adding, “In New Hampshire Republicans gathered Nader signatures asking, Would you like to help George Bush?'”

Mendros said Monday he notarized signatures because he is a notary public. “I’m not going to withhold my notary because of politics,” he said. “I’ve notarized signatures for my opponent, Tim Woodcock, when I ran for Congress.”

Mendros added he’s notarized petitions for Libertarian candidates.

Republicans said their party has not helped Nader in Maine, and that Democrats, through ACT and stopNader.com, were working to hinder democracy.

“If an individual, Stavros Mendros, chose to sign, circulate or notarize petitions it’s within his right,” said Bickford, executive director of the party, said Monday from the Republican National Convention in New York.

Democrats are “crying” about Mendros’ involvement, “but the issue is that Democrats are trying to prevent voters from having another choice on the ballot,” Bickford said.

Maine’s Secretary of State’s Office said an individual who notarizes signatures could be working on the campaign or could be merely notarizing signatures because he or she is a notary public. Most of the Nader petitions were turned in by Dan Rogers of Auburn and Julien Holmes of Wayne, according to the state.