LEWISTON Its a familiar story.
Too familiar.


So familiar, in fact, you might think youve read it before.


Several Maine Republican House members have taken credit for writing a guest column that has appeared in newspapers around the state under different bylines.


The same column, almost word for word, appeared under the bylines of Republican Reps. Bruce Hanley, David Trahan, Larry Jacobsen and Sally Lewin in three different newspapers on three different days.
The column, deeply critical of Gov. John Baldaccis handling of the installation of a computer system in the Department of Health and Human Services, was published Aug. 24 under the names of Rep. David Trahan of Waldoboro and Rep. Larry Jacobsen of Waterboro in the Lincoln County News.


The same column appeared in the Norway Advertiser Democrat on Sept. 7 under the name of Rep. Bruce Hanley of Paris.


Then, on Sept. 12, it appeared in the Portsmouth Herald, this time credited to Rep. Sally Lewin of Eliot.


When asked about the column, two of the supposed writers said the same thing: Thats my column and Im sticking to it.


The similarities go beyond what could be coincidence. All three columns have the same headline, The computer thats eating Maines budget, the same language throughout and even the same punctuation.


Lewin said that she had been working on the column with Jay Finegan, the communications director for House Republicans, for at least three months.
Finegan defended the practice and his role in the creation of the column.


I dont consider it plagiarism, Lewin said. Im trying to get the information out through various outlets. I said he could share the information with anyone.


Trahan also said he worked with Finegan, independent of Lewin. He said he collaborated with Jacobsen and oversaw the column, adding information when necessary.


Thats all I can tell you, Trahan said. I know that I had a major role in the column and the way it was drafted. … Youll have to ask (the others) how their name got on it. I cant speak for those folks.


I wouldnt call it plagiarism, Finegan said. Its when you use someone elses work without their knowledge or permission. … They all contributed to it. I coupled together a lot of peoples ideas for this particular column.


Both Lewin and Trahan said they didnt have a problem with the apparent theft of the work they both claim as their own.


It doesnt trouble me, Lewin said. I couldnt care less. I think its important that the information get out. Im not the least bit upset.
Lewin and Trahan may not be upset about the column appearing with multiple people claiming to have written it, but House Majority Leader Glenn Cummings, a Portland Democrat, is.


What we have here is identical columns under the names of at least four different representatives, and we believe that is significantly misleading the public. Thats plagiarism. Thats significant.
According to Cummings, the Democratic Party doesnt allow columns to be mass produced and distributed with different lawmakers claiming credit for the same work.


Individual staffers work with individual members to produce columns, Cummings said.


We wouldnt allow our students in school to plagiarize someone elses work, said Cummings, who is a college professor and former high school teacher. Why should we let Republican legislators?


House Republican leader Rep. David Bowles of Sanford also defended the practice and said it was common in politics at every level.


I dont see a problem, Bowles said. I dont think the public has been harmed and dont think its misleading.


He then suggested that the act doesnt meet the dictionary definition of plagiarism, which he said was to take the information without permission or for financial gain.


According to Websters New World College Dictionary, plagiarize means to take (ideas, writings, etc.) from (another) and pass them off as ones own.


Bowles also said to contact Speaker of the House John Richardson, saying both parties operate largely in the same way.


David Connerty-Marin, a spokesman for the speaker, said he had talked with Richardson on Wednesday about the issue.


All political leaders use communication staff to help put ideas into words, Connerty-Marin said. Its a collaborative effort. … But we never put the same material out under other peoples names. That would be plagiarism.


Hanley and Jacobsen did not return messages left Wednesday afternoon.


Susan Arena, the editor of the Advertiser Democrat, which is a sister publication of the Sun Journal, said she was aware of the duplicate columns.
Reached at home, she was reluctant to talk about the details without the column in front of her, but she did say the paper had run a letter to the editor spelling out the situation.


The editors of the Portsmouth Herald and the Lincoln County News could not be reached Wednesday.
In 2000, the Sun Journal uncovered a similar set of circumstances. A column printed by Auburn Rep. Thomas Shields in the Sun Journal also appeared under the byline of then Rep. Lois Snowe-Mello in another paper. An investigation at the time found that the column had been sent to eight or nine other papers and was presented as the work of other lawmakers.


What Im hearing here, said Bowles, is that this is offending the sensibilities of the press and the people who practice the trade of journalism. … I would submit to you that the public receives the benefit that theyre being educated. … The story should be about the content of the op-ed piece, in this case a very disturbing pattern of malfeasance.

[email protected]