AUGUSTA, Maine - The Miami woman who has been leading a controversial ballot campaign to build a casino in York County says the campaign did not intentionally mislead the Maine Ethics Commission when it failed to report its true funding sources.
Lisa Scott released a press statement Friday saying the Horseracing Jobs Fairness Campaign did not fully understand Maine's disclosure law.
Lisa Scott is the sister of gambling developer Shawn Scott, who first brought gambling to Maine in 2004. Until Thursday, Lisa Scott was the only donor to the campaign, contributing over $4 million.
But new finance reports show Scott has been loaned millions of dollars from a web of off shore and domestic companies. All of those companies are tied to Scott, whose business pursuits have come under scrutiny in multiple states.
The same network of companies was fined by Massachusetts regulators last year for concealing funding from Bridge Capital, a Mariana Islands investment firm where Scott is a partner.
The Ethics Commission is expected to consider penalties against the Maine campaign next month.
