Portland Press Herald drafts editorial based on MCPIR’s ethics coverage

The Portland Press Herald editorial board wrote an editorial based around the reporting by MCPIR.
An illustration of a brown dog standing at attention in front of a wooden cutout of the state of Maine
The Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting is a nonprofit newsroom focused on being an investigative watchdog for the people of Maine.

This legislative session, many of the bills to reform ethics were prompted by the Center’s report last year that gave Maine an “F” for anti-corruption measures.

Here’s the Press Herald’s editorial from today on “revolving door” legislation making its way through the statehouse:

Maine should pass tougher ethics laws — Allowing regulators to move from public jobs to jobs in industries they once regulated is dangerous.

Sometimes it’s bad to be too good. After decades of honest government peopled with principled members of both parties, Maine finds itself ranked near the bottom when it comes to tough ethics rules.

States that have a culture of political corruption often have the strongest protections in their laws because they needed them. For instance, many states would have ended pension payments to someone like former Maine Turnpike Authority Director Paul Violette, who was sent to prison for helping himself to public funds, but Maine had so little experience with that kind of crime, it had no law on the books to respond to it.

To read the rest of this editorial, click here.

Share

The Maine Monitor

The Maine Monitor is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service of the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting. Our team of investigative journalists use data- and document-based reporting to produce stories that have an impact.

Content labeled as “By The Maine Monitor” are written by staff editors and are reserved for newsroom announcements (e.g. stories about accolades earned or welcoming new hires). This content is reviewed and approved by another editor.

Need to reach an editor about this content? Email contact@themainemonitor.org

Previous Post
Exterior of the Maine State House

Ethics getting statehouse attention, prompted by ‘F’ in national study

Next Post
illustration of a purple wave with an arm holding a fist full of dollar bills above homes and a school

Risky business tax breaks cost state $100 million per year

Total
0
Share