Submitted by Mike Tipping on February 6, 2009 - 12:28pm
Mainetoday.com has a story up written by Betty Adams at the Kennebec Journal about how the bookkeeper for the Maine GOP has been indicted for embezzling almost $50,000 from the state party over a period of three years.
The article notes that a statement from Republican Party Chairman Charlie Webster and former chairman Mark Ellis is available "on the Republican Party website" and provides a link. Clicking there, however, takes you to a post on As Maine Goes, the conservative online forum.
Here's a screencap with the link selected:
The actual Maine GOP website does not have a release posted on the subject.
Typical
I'm not sure how you "knew it," but if you knew and wondered why the Maine state GOP party was always broke, this doesn't explain it. What does explain it is the terrible leadership provided by Chairman Mark Ellis (from 2005-08) and Treasurer Phil Roy (2005-present), who drove the party financially into the ground, and who were asleep at the wheel while said embezzlement was taking place. How does a party that could barely manage to pay its staff for three years not notice this much money was missing? Either its leadership and staff are incompetent or they were taking part in the embezzling. Phil Roy, who was no stranger to controversy as Somerset County commissioner (defeated last fall, thank god), needs to step down as party treasurer and be investigated. Mark Ellis should also be held to account, as should Julie O'Brien, who was both a candidate for state house this year while serving as Maine GOP exec. director (which should also be looked into for conflicts).