Maine Democratic speaker accuses GOP governor of blackmail

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By ALANNA DURKIN

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — The Democratic speaker of the state House of Representatives accused Republican Gov. Paul LePage on Wednesday of blackmailing a charter school by threatening to withhold state funding from it to get him fired from a job there.

Rep. Mark Eves said LePage told school operator Good Will-Hinckley it had to remove Eves as president or lose $500,000 in state funds, resulting in a loss of an additional $2 million in private funds.

A lawyer for Eves said he is considering taking legal action against the governor.

"The Governor's actions represent the worst kind of vendetta politics Maine has ever seen," Eves said in a statement. "If it goes unchecked, no legislator will feel safe in voting his conscience for fear that the Governor will go after the legislator's family and livelihood."

FULL story at link. This story has been corrected to show Good Will-Hinckley is the name of the school's operator, not the name of the school.

Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/6b3c2b49b07145fb90b02b0690964d07/maine-democratic-speaker-accuses-gop-governor-blackmail

[bucolic_frolic]

1. This is RICH indeed

[WillyT]

2. K & R !!!

[Stuart G]

3. K and R..nt

[freshwest]

4. I'd call it extortion, not blackmail. No wrongdoing to blackmail for, like Hastert.

LePage is a fascist despotic jerk with terrible personal issues. That hes in office and continues to get away with all these things is incredible.

He's a Koch puppet like Christie and Walker. They are NEVER called to account. Because they have infiltrated all branches in the states they control, and their lackeys will do anything to keep that gravy train rolling.

They don't have enough grey matter between the lot of them to do anything but rubber stamp what the Koch brothers want.

Just as Nordquist wants for POTUS. Every one of the GOP crooks running for president aren't qualified as dogcathcer. These guys shame the nation.

[James48]

5. Clear cut.

I think a Maine citizen needs to report this to the Maine State Police.

Sounds to me like it meets the criteria for the charge of Extortion.

http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/17-A/title17-Asec355.html

[secondwind]

6. HUGE K&R