Investigation: LePage, education department threatened Good Will-Hinckley funding
Source: Bangor Daily News
AUGUSTA, Maine A long-awaited report on how Gov. Paul LePage and the Maine Department of Education interfered in an employment contract between Democratic House Speaker Mark Eves and Good Will-Hinckley has found strong evidence that LePage took steps to withdraw state funding for a charter school for at-risk students.
The Legislatures Government Oversight Committee received the 27-page report Tuesday morning in Augusta from Beth Ashcroft, director of the nonpartisan Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability.
The purpose of the probe was to investigate whether LePage improperly threatened to withhold $530,000 in state funding for Good Will-Hinckley, an organization that among other things runs the Maine Academy of Natural Sciences in Fairfield, to force the firing of Eves.
Eves contract was rescinded by Good Will-Hinckley in June. LePage, who objected to Eves hiring because he said Eves was not qualified for the position, has publicly admitted that he threatened Hinckleys board of directors. Eves has filed a civil lawsuit against LePage in which he accuses the governor of blackmail. The suit is still pending.
<more>
Read more: http://bangordailynews.com/2015/09/08/politics/investigation-lepage-education-department-threatened-good-will-hinckley-funding/
impeach
yup
magical thyme
(14,881 posts)We need to get rid of that sacko'crap, and the sooner the better.
edhopper
(33,704 posts)will probably give this horror show of a Gov. a third term.
jopacaco
(133 posts)Maine Governors are only allowed to have 2 consecutive terms. He would have to wait 4 years to try again. He has expressed interest in Angus King's (I) Senate seat. LePage's only hope is another 3 way election. I hope that his 1/3 of the voters see the light with all of this crazy behavior but I have my doubts.
edhopper
(33,704 posts)bad news for the rest of us if the idiots there send him to Washington.
Gormy Cuss
(30,884 posts)Even better would be for a Marden's-like chain to make him an offer he can't refuse and thus get his horrid, paranoid ass out of politics.
erronis
(15,524 posts)While I understand that the school was in danger of losing all state funding because of lepage's temper, I felt that the school should have pushed back a bit more.
Also the Harold Alfund Foundation was rather quick to threaten to pull its funding. Couldn't there have been a bit more flexibility?
gregcrawford
(2,382 posts)... and a pathological liar. Doesn't say much for the people that voted for him. The people of Maine got screwed.
Ford_Prefect
(7,949 posts)Kick in to the DU tip jar?
This week we're running a special pop-up mini fund drive. From Monday through Friday we're going ad-free for all registered members, and we're asking you to kick in to the DU tip jar to support the site and keep us financially healthy.
As a bonus, making a contribution will allow you to leave kudos for another DU member, and at the end of the week we'll recognize the DUers who you think make this community great.