The Maine legislature has voted to put a controversial casino initiative on the November ballot, even though the state’s ethics commission is investigating the campaign responsible for the measure for possible violations of campaign finance laws.
So far, the campaign has spent $4.3 million on putting the measure to allow a casino in York County on the ballot—all of that money is at hazard if the commission finds that the campaign tried to hide the fact of offshore interests’ contributions.
The legislature has two options when presented with an initiative submitted with enough signatures: put it on the ballot or directly adopt the measure. Lawmakers chose the former.
So far, the commission has learned that organizations with ties to Shawn Scott— who would be the only person qualified under the initiative to operate a casino— are behind most of the contributions, which the campaign did not initially disclose, in itself a violation of the law.
The controversial Scott in 2003 successfully pushed through an initiative that allowed him to put in the state’s first slots parlor in Bangor. However, under scrutiny by the state’s racing board for questionable accounting practices, Scott sold his interest to Penn National Gaming, opened what is now the Hollywood Casino.
The commission is also investigating complaints that the current initiative used aggressive and deceptive methods to collect signatures.
