AUGUSTA, Maine - Maine's ethics commission will investigate Democratic Rep. Diane Russell's use of an email list to raise a historic $89,000 from mostly small, out-of-state donors for her failed state Senate campaign.
Russell gained national prominence for criticizing the power of superdelegates. She contends the list, which contains about 200,000 email addresses, is her personal property.
Portland resident Michael Hiltz filed a complaint arguing that Russell should have reported the list as a contribution from her Working Families PAC. The PAC paid Russell $7,747 for "online organizing.''
The Portland Press Herald reports that the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices voted Tuesday to move forward with an investigation. The panel's executive director Jonathan Wayne said the move doesn't indicate a violation, only that the commission wants to "gather more information.''