The Portland Press-Herald was the unsuspecting host of a fraudulent op-ed from swamp creature Sara Gideon on her campaign finance record. Gideon’s op-ed is riddled with outright falsehoods and misrepresentations of her own record – a record that reflects she treats the swamp more like a hot tub than a “system of special interests influencing elections… contrary to our democratic values.”
This morning, Gideon claimed she “worked to strengthen and protect [the Maine clean elections] system and to prohibit gubernatorial and legislative candidates from accepting campaign contributions from lobbyists.”
FACT CHECK: FALSE
The Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting wrote Gideon “skirt[ed the] spirit of fundraising rules” by “us[ing] timing, creative wording” to allow her to solicit funds from lobbyists into the state Democratic Party to benefit her re-election campaign.
Not to mention, a new report over the weekend shows Gideon’s hypocritical stance on pledging to refuse gifts and trips from lobbyists, since she has already accepted nearly $20,000 in contributions from lobbyists for her current U.S. Senate campaign.
Of course, Gideon was also fined by the Maine Ethics Commission for breaking federal law to funnel cash from her state-based PAC – largely funded by corporate donations – to her own personal pocketbook.
“It is the ultimate hypocrisy for Sara Gideon to pontificate about campaign finance reform when it’s crooked politicians like Sara Gideon who need to be put out of business.” -SLF Communications Director Jack Pandol