LEWISTON – The Maine Democratic Party has filed a complaint with the state’s ethics commission alleging that Republican Chandler Woodcock and independent Barbara Merrill appear to have illegally conspired to qualify for public financing of their gubernatorial campaigns.
According to the complaint, Merrill and her husband, Philip Merrill, contributed $5 to the Maine Clean Election Fund for Woodcock, helping him to qualify for as much as $1.2 million in public money for his campaign. Woodcock and his campaign manager, Chris Jackson, then returned the favor within two days.
Neither candidate disputes making the contribution and both maintain that nothing illegal happened.
“There was nothing remotely like collusion,” Woodcock said. “Barbara Merrill and I had booths next to each other at the Wilton sportsman show. I gave her a contribution as a symbolic gesture to show my support for the Maine Clean Election Act.”
The dates of the contributions correspond with the dates of Pine Tree State Sportsman and Gun Show, which was held March 24-26 in Wilton.
Merrill’s response was similar.
“There was no quid pro quo,” Merrill said. “That’s not a violation of the law. It’s nonsense.”
She went on to say that she would have contributed for the other candidates seeking public financing if they had asked – including even Democratic Gov. John Baldacci, if he had run as a Clean Election candidate.
Instead, Merrill said, the complaint is an effort to distract attention from a possibly illegal telephone poll that was conducted over the weekend, apparently to benefit Baldacci and hurt the other candidates for governor.
Merrill, who has been highly critical of Baldacci so far in the campaign, said that she received an e-mail from Andrew Paiement of Brunswick telling her about the poll. In the e-mail, Paiement said the poll was obviously “Baldacci financed.”
“I was offended for you when they called you unqualified, a disgruntled former Baldacci supporter, and worse of all they dragged your husband into almost all questions regarding you,” Paiement wrote.
The poll was conducted for the state Democratic Party by Boston pollster Kiley and Co.; the actual phone calls were subcontracted to The Parker Group in Birmingham, Ala.
According to Ben Dudley, the chairman of the state Democratic Party, the way the poll is being characterized in inaccurate.
“There are five criteria in state law for a poll to be considered a push poll,” Dudley said. “Our polling doesn’t trigger a single one of them.”
Dudley would not release the poll’s questions, calling it a strategic document that the party does not make available to the public.
“Even if everything (Merrill) says about the poll is true, it doesn’t constitute a push poll,” Dudley said.
Attempts to reach Paiement Monday were unsuccessful.
Merrill said that she intends to seek an investigation by the ethics commission and the attorney general into the poll, and hopes that the other candidates running for governor will support her and put an end to the tactic.
As for the contribution, Merrill said it was to the Maine Clean Election Fund, not to Woodcock.
“I respect Chandler Woodcock, and he is certainly someone who has the courage of his convictions,” Merrill said. “Does that mean I support his campaign? Absolutely not.”
Merrill said she supports Maine’s Clean Election Act and believes the state would be best served if all the candidates running for governor participated.
“I’m disappointed that John Baldacci didn’t run as a Clean Election candidate,” Merrill said. “Now he’s trying to accuse Chandler and I of this nonsense because he doesn’t want to talk about the issues.”
Gubernatorial candidates seeking public funding must collect 2,500 $5 contributions to the Maine Clean Election Fund, a difficult task. Under the law, candidates cannot exchange anything of value for the contributions.
The complaint asks the ethics commission to investigate whether the contributions represent something “of value” being traded.
According to Assistant Director Paul Lavin, the matter will be added to the agenda for the Aug. 23 meeting of the ethics commission. In the meantime, staff will contact the two campaigns involved and gather information about the contributions.
“I can tell you this,” Woodcock said. “This campaign is not about a $5 contribution. It’s about $3 billion in debt and $100 million in debt to the hospitals. I’m disappointed that the Democratic Party, and the governor, as the head of the Democratic Party, continue to put forth this negative campaigning.”
Dudley agreed with Woodcock, at least sort of.
“In my mind, this isn’t about the money or the amount of dollars exchanged,” Dudley said. “It’s about following the rules.”
Comments are no longer available on this story