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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe Idiot Thug Running Maine
Luke ONeil
Last week, members of the Maine legislatures Government Oversight Committee unanimously called for an investigation into Tea Party Governor Paul LePage. At question is whether or not he inappropriatelyand potentially illegallyabused his control over the states budget to force a charter school to fire a political opponent.
The combative" governor, as The New York Times called himwhich is New England shorthand for assholehasnt so much protested his innocence as he has thumbed his nose at the bipartisan committees authority.
In a letter to Beth Ashcroft, the director of the oversight group, his counsel cited the legally-binding Youre Not the Boss of Me doctrine.
The Governor and the exercise of his discretionary executive power are simply not subject to OPEGAs jurisdiction and/or oversight, the letter explained. If members of the Legislature wish to investigate the Governor, they should look to the Constitution for the authority to do so.
They might do just that. Six state lawmakers recently said they would begin looking into the process of impeachment over the imbroglio, in which LePage has been accused of withholding more than $500,000 in state money from Good Will-Hinckleywhich, sadly, isnt a straight-to-DVD sequel, but rather a charter school for disadvantaged children.
more
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/07/06/the-idiot-thug-running-maine.html
HassleCat
(6,409 posts)Remember the Whitewater "investigation?" Ken Starr and his pals spent over $40 million and came up empty so they impeached a resident over a blow job. This stuff with LePage is what they were looking for with Clinton, but failed to find. It's bad enough when a public servant uses the power of government to reward his friends, but it's much worse when some governor or senator makes some phone calls and has somebody fired. I say some jail time is the right thing here, assuming the allegations are true.
DirkGently
(12,151 posts)And I say this as someone living under the regime of Florida's Rick Scott.
But seriously, how does this person get elected? He doesn't make any effort to hide that he's a) not very bright and b) extremely unpleasant to deal with.
I can't imagine for a second that he DIDN'T commit an abuse of his office.
sharp_stick
(14,400 posts)in Maine have been badly split between the Democratic nominee and independant Eliot Cutler both in 2010 and 2014.
Gothmog
(145,558 posts)malaise
(269,157 posts)Impeach this lunatic scumbag