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United States — Maine legislation
20 statutes shown from 25,400 source-backed records
The section says the people’s confidence in elections and legislators is essential and creates an independent ethics-and-election commission to guard against corruption, undue influence, and misconduct or its appearance.
1. Membership. [PL 2001, c. 470, §1 (AMD); MRSA T. 1 §1002, sub-§1, ¶F (RP).] 1-A. Membership. The Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices, established by Title 5, section 12004‑G, subsection 33 and referred to in this
The commission must adopt procedures, rules, and regulations needed to carry out its duties fairly and efficiently, and it must make its records available to the public except as provided in section 1013.
The commission must meet when called by the Speaker of the House, the President of the Senate, the chair, or a majority of members.
The commission’s meetings, hearings, and sessions are open to the public unless the commission votes by at least 3 members to exclude the public.
The commission may ask specified state offices or law enforcement agencies for help in carrying out its duties, and those agencies must comply to the extent of their ability when asked.
The commission must submit an annual report to the Legislature and the public.
The commission has general duties to investigate ethics and election-law violations, administer related laws, run ethics seminars, and oversee clean election and lobbying enforcement.
After a general election, the commission may ask for suggestions on campaign financing, reporting, and other areas within its jurisdiction, must review those suggestions, and may submit legislation within 90 days based on them or on proposals from its members or staff.
The Legislature states that ethical standards should be defined for legislators, and that legislators should rely on private income and plan to return to private work.
This section defines terms used in the subchapter, including “gift,” “income,” “honorarium,” “immediate family,” and “reportable liability.”
The commission may issue advisory opinions, investigate legislative-ethics complaints, and administer income-disclosure rules for legislators.
A Legislator violates legislative ethics by voting or trying to influence a question involving a conflict of interest, or by engaging in listed forms of undue influence, abuse of office, or prohibited state contracting, unless a stated exception applies.
This section limits certain campaign contributions and solicitations involving the Governor, legislators, constitutional officers, candidates, lobbyists, lobbyist associates, employers of lobbyists, and lobbying firms, with several exceptions.
Certain legislative candidates must file a report by 5 p.m. on August 15 before the general election, unless they withdraw by that date, and must file statements electronically.
A Legislator or associated organization that bids on a state government contract must file a bid disclosure statement with the commission by 5:00 p.m. on the day the bid is submitted.
Each Legislator must file annual income, interest, and liability disclosure statements with the commission, and must update them within 30 days after certain substantial changes.
A person who knowingly makes a false conflict-of-interest charge to the commission, or induces someone else to do so, commits a Class E crime.
A Legislator may serve on a public board, authority, or commission created by the Legislature if no consideration is paid other than actual expenses.
The Legislature must adopt, publish, maintain, and implement disciplinary guidelines and procedures for Legislators.
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