AUGUSTA, Maine - Maine's Government Oversight Committee will soon decide whether the state will launch an investigation into Republican Gov. Paul LePage's interference in a school's personnel affairs.
The committee will meet Wednesday to discuss Democratic House Speaker Mark Eves' allegation that LePage pressured Good Will-Hinckley into removing him as president by threatening to withhold more than $500,000 a year in state funds.
More than 100 people rallied outside the State House Tuesday to urge lawmakers to look into the governor's actions, and to start the impeachment process if it's discovered that he broke any laws. They held signs that read "impeach the bully'' and "unfit to govern.''
Becky Holbrook from Phippsburg helped organize the rally. She told demonstrators that lawmakers are on their side. "They are ready to do the will of the people, but sometimes they don't know what the will of the people is," she said. "This will inform them. This will support them. This will encourage them as they go forward, hopefully to start an investigation."
LePage acknowledged on Monday that he threatened to withhold the Good Will-Hinckley funds, but says it wasn't an abuse of power. He says Eves isn't qualified for the job because of his long opposition to charter schools.