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More Dirt in "Clean Elections"
Published on September 24, 2007 11:59 PM
by Michael Schrimpf
File Under: "Clean" Elections
Proponents of government-financed elections like to claim that government-financing will help "clean up" politics. Opponents counter by arguing, among other things, that government-financing is a waste of taxpayer money.
In Maine, the case of former state representative William Walcott provides insight into which side is right.
The Sun Journal reports that Walcott "misused" $4,874 in "Clean Elections" funds. In fact, "He did not spend any public funds on his election campaign..." because "he believe his re-election was safe."
The executive director of the Maine Ethics Commission defended the program by saying that in the last two election cycles "only" 6 "clean election" candidates have been found to have misused the government subsidies.
