Sen. Stewart calls for Legislative Council meeting after announcement of unprecedented privately funded legislative staffer

Staff Report

AUGUSTA — On Wednesday, Senate Republican Leader Trey Stewart sent a letter to President of the Senate Matthea Daughtry, Speaker of the House Ryan Fecteau and members of the Legislative Council, the Legislature’s administrative body, asking the council to meet and discuss a group of lawmakers’ plan to hire a staff member using private funds. The council was scheduled to meet Aug. 27, but that meeting was canceled. All council meetings scheduled since May have been canceled.

“The people of Maine deserve to know who is paying someone to help lawmakers develop and promote public policy. You cannot call this person a legislative staffer while avoiding the transparency, ethics and accountability requirements that apply to legislative employees,” said Senate Republican Leader Trey Stewart, R-Aroostook. “Democrats cannot create one set of rules for their socialist allies and another for everyone else. If they allow this arrangement to proceed, they should expect other lawmakers to invite privately funded staffers from organizations Democrats strongly oppose. They cannot open this door only for their political friends. The Legislative Council needs to meet immediately, get answers and establish clear rules before this unprecedented arrangement moves forward.”

Sen. Stewart’s full letter to the Legislative Council can be viewed here.

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