A Maine lawmaker charged with defrauding the state’s clean election system said Thursday he’s resigning and returning his legislator’s salary.
TOP MAINE ELECTIONS OFFICIAL TESTIFIES AGAINST MANDATORY VOTER ID
Rep. Clinton Collamore Sr., D-Waldoboro, made his announcement after pleading not guilty to 20 counts of aggravated forgery along with 12 counts of unsworn falsification and one count of violating the Maine Clean Election Act.
Collamore was already stripped of his committee assignment, and House Speaker Rachel Talbott Ross had called for him to give up his House District 45 seat.
MAINE VOTERS’ PUSH FOR PUBLIC UTILITIES COULD CREATE BALLOT CONFLICT
Before Thursday, Collamore had been silent on the charges, and had continued to collect a legislative salary even though he hadn’t been at the State House in weeks.
In addition to returning his legislative salary, he said he would reimburse the more than $14,000 in public campaign funding he received.