AUGUSTA — Maine Citizens for Clean Elections says outside money is pouring into Maine and being funneled in such a way that it’s difficult to track who’s behind the money.

A report released Monday said money from outside groups seeking to influence Maine legislative races grew by more than 500 percent from 2008 to 2012.

Two state Senate races in Androscoggin County were among the top five races that benefited from independent expenditures. According to the report, the races for Senate Districts 15 and 17 saw nearly a half million dollars in spending either in support or opposition to the four candidates.

In the Senate District 17 race, Democratic challenger John Cleveland of Auburn unseated incumbent Republican Lois Snowe-Mello of Poland, while in the District 15 race incumbent Republican Garrett Mason of Lisbon fended off Democratic challenger Colleen Quint in a tight race that went to a recount.

The MCCE report shows that various PACs and the Republican and Democratic parties spent $241,170 on the Senate District 15 race while they spent $246,345 on the Senate District 17 race.

Most of the spending was done by the Maine Democratic and Republican parties or party-affiliated PACs.

Democrats spent $23,331 in opposition to Snowe-Mello and Mason, while they spent $13,645 in support of Cleveland and Quint.

Meanwhile the Maine Republican Party spent $2,481 in opposition to Cleveland while it spent $2,593 in support of Mason.

The report says some nonprofits were able to shield corporate or individual donors behind those expenditures, transferring money multiple times before a donation is made.

BJ McCollister from the Maine Citizens for Clean Elections says it’s gotten to the point that voters “are hearing more from outside groups than from the candidates themselves.” He said large donations that cannot be traced “pose a serious risk to our democracy.”

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