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1st Circuit Breathes New Life Into Lawsuit Against LePage

PORTLAND, Maine - A lawsuit filed more than two years accusing Republican Gov. Paul LePage of abuse of power and blackmail has new life.

The full 1st Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston announced Friday that it's going to hear arguments on the lawsuit brought by former Democratic House Speaker Mark Eves.

A hearing is set for April 3.

A three-member panel of the 1st Circuit already ruled that LePage can't be sued for threatening to withhold state discretionary funding from a nonprofit that offered a job to Eves. The court noted that LePage has brought broad discretion with spending.

Eves accused the governor of violating his rights. The flap roiled the Maine Legislature and led to a failed attempt to impeach LePage.