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Embattled Maine Senator Resigns as Committee Chair

Mal Leary
/
MPBN
Sen. Michael Willette, a Republican from Aroostook County.

AUGUSTA, Maine - Aroostook County Sen. Michael Willette has resigned as chair of the Legislature's State and Local Government Committee, in the wake of a controversy over Facebook posts he made.

Willette submitted his resignation letter Wednesday morning to Senate President Michael Thibodeau. In a brief statement, Thibodeau says he has accepted Willette's resignation and commends him "for putting the interests of the Legislature before his own in order to turn the page on this matter and allow all of us to get back to work on the business of the Maine Senate."

Maine Democrats have called on Willette to resign from the Senate entirely over a Facebook post he made suggesting that President Barack Obama's family members of part of the terrorist Islamic State group, and other similar posts Willette published over a period of several months.

Two weeks ago, Willette apologized for the posts in a speech on the Senate floor, asking colleagues for their forgiveness and saying his "mistake in judgment won't be repeated."  

The Portland-based chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People had called on Willette to resign his committee chairmanship.