Ethics bills clear both chambers

Two ethics bills have recently advanced in the Maine Legislature.

A bill by Rep. Janet Mills, D-Farmington, seeks to restrict ways that Clean Elections funds can be spent. The bill is in response to the 2006 governor’s race, where independent candidate Barbara Merrill paid her husband $109,000 for media services.

The bill has been approved by both chambers.

In 2006, the Ethics Commission determined that Merrill didn’t break any laws, revealing a loophole in the Clean Elections Act.

Mills’ bill prohibits candidates from using MCEA funds to pay a member of their household, unless the candidate can prove that the family member is qualified to perform the contracted duties and they have been paid fair market value.

“When the citizens of Maine enacted the Clean Elections Act, they never intended that public money would be used for personal gain,” Mills said in a release. “Tax dollars should not be used to line the pockets of a candidate or a candidate’s family.”

Another bill, sponsored by Rep. John Patrick, D-Rumford, recently cleared both chambers. The bill makes several changes involving the Ethics Commission, including:

-Requires that audit papers be kept confidential unless presented at a public commission meeting

-Prohibits information filed with the commission using the names of political contributors to be used for commercial purposes

-Requires MCEA candidates to disclose any family relationships of relatives who received public funds for services

-Increases disclosure requirements for members on the commission and clarifies a process for removal of members