AUGUSTA (WGME) — The Maine Ethics Commission voted Monday morning to fine the Bobby Charles campaign for governor for violating campaign finance contribution limits.
The state has a per-donor limit on contributions to gubernatorial candidates set at $2,075.
The Charles campaign reportedly accepted roughly $45,000 over that per-donor-limit.
An attorney representing Maine’s Democratic Party, which filed the original complaint, called it one of the most serious violations she has ever seen.
“It is in my mind, and I’ve been doing this a long time, among the most serious of violations I have seen, and astonishing, because it is so simple not to have this happen,” Maine Democratic Party Counsel Katherine Knox said.
An attorney for the Charles campaign didn’t deny accepting the contributions but contended all of the contributions have been returned, and its campaign finance reporting amended.
The commission decided to fine the Charles campaign about $22,000 for the violation.
The Charles campaign released a statement Monday about the decision.
“Earlier this month, the Maine Ethics Commission notified our campaign that some contributions had exceeded the state’s per-donor limit. This was an administrative error. As soon as we learned of it, we worked in good faith with the Commission’s staff, returned the excess contributions and corrected our reports.
We would have preferred a different outcome, but we respect the Commission’s process.
Our focus remains on the issues Maine families are facing right now, especially record heating costs heading into winter. With one week until Election Day, that is the conversation Maine voters deserve.”