Alfred - Rep. David Burns Accused of Improper Clean Election Fund Use

falsified receipts and false expenditure claims.

I would like to know what was falsified. The attorney says it can be explained...so start explaining away, lets see how deep this hole goes.
[sarcasm]

No way when you throw filth (other peoples money ) on someone are they going to always come out clean.
Can't get rid of same day reg.
probably won't do much better w/ ID
looks like the filthy swamp of clean election money will be w/ us along time!!!

"clean" election money is as dirty as it gets

The regs are so mindboggling (can't have candidates spending taxpayers money without direct supervision, now can we- sarcasm) that this guy may be completely innocent.

Clean erections has to go. It is an affront to freedom, in the name of Puritanism.

And yes that's a typo, but I think I'll leave it. Freudian?

The clean elections staff found something beyond some mere confusion over mind boggling regs. Had to, cause they would look stupid if they went to AG over some minor questionable activity. "Falsified receipts" is not a simple mis-interpretion....and it is receipts, the plural of receipt. We'll see what happens.

Wow. He didn't even wait until he got elected to shove his snout into the public trough.

The article indicates there are at least two other candidates who are facing fines, for more minor violations.

Posted: November 26

Maine lawmaker accused of campaign fund misuse
Rep. David Burns, R-Alfred, who has denied the allegations, could face criminal charges.

By Susan M. Cover scover@mainetoday.com
MaineToday Media State House Writer

AUGUSTA — ...snip

.... In March, Burns sent ethics officials a letter purportedly from Timothy R. Guinard of Alfred saying that he had received $475 from Burns for 10 hand-painted signs.

... Guinard saw the ethics documents online .... called the ethics commission to say that while he was approached by Burns to write the letter, he refused. He did not do any work for Burns and received no payments, he told ethics officials.

Source

11:48 AM
Alfred lawmaker's spending raises more questions

The Associated Press

ALFRED —

...snip
The commission staff is recommending that Burns' case be referred to the attorney general for possible criminal investigation. It also asks that the commission to find that Burns illegally mingled Maine Clean Election Act funds with personal funds, made false statements, used funds not related to his campaign and committed other violations.

Source

Seems unlikely that the person he "asked" to write the letter and refused would be the name he would use on the letter if he was trying to fool anyone. Or that anyone would troll around on the financial disclosure website just to see if their name was there. I'm the worst political junkie in history, and not even I have ever done that!

Something smells here.

Posted: 11:21 AM

Ethics panel rules against GOP lawmaker

By Susan M. Cover scover@mainetoday.com
MaineToday Media State House Writer

AUGUSTA — The state ethics commission Wednesday found state Rep. David R. Burns, R-Alfred, guilty of violating state campaign-finance laws.

The commission is also referring the matter to the Office of the Attorney General for possible criminal prosecution.

Burns, a first-time lawmaker, is accused of spending at least $2,500 of public funds for personal purposes and falsely reporting other expenditures. ....

Source

State lawmaker resigns from Alfred town board
A Maine state representative accused of violating state election finance laws has resigned from the Alfred Board of Selectmen.
David Burns resigned by telephone on Tuesday.
Burns' resignation is effective at the end of the 2012 Town Meeting on March 31.
…The commission has referred the matter to the state attorney general's office for possible criminal investigation.
Burns in resigning told fellow selectman that "sometimes things happen unintentionally that look intentional."

PPH

Representative David R. Burns (R-Alfred) has resigned from the Maine House of Representatives.

Kennebec Journal

I've refrained from commenting up until now, but given his resignations I guess there is no need to hold back. I don't know Dave Burns. I met him once prior to the election and was happy to see him elected to the seat in lieu of his Democratic rival. I am just amazed at what has transpired here. It seems that charges will be forthcoming and he will have his day in court, but based on the reporting what could he have been thinking? A very bad thing for the citizens of Alfred, Shapleigh, Limerick, and Lyman who have now lost their voice in the House!

It is these towns that are in House District 142:

Alfred, Limerick, Newfield, and Shapleigh

Lyman is part of two other districts, one is shared with Kennebunk and the other is shared with Waterboro.

My bad! You're right.

Of course I am right. I used to live in Lyman for 25+ years and I used to live in Newfield for about 5 years.
:-)

Is it these towns? No probably not ,it is a gene thing linked to gross stupidity ! Shame he was a republican if a democrat he could have learned to steal better!

I was part of a state rep campaign in 2010 that used clean elections and it made me sick. The amount of money is ridiculous and I have been a strong opponent of it since then. I was part of the problem until I realized exactly how bad the system is.

Rep. Burns is one of the reasons why we have issues as Republicans. We cannot be the party of personal responsibility and smaller government when we support our candidates using public funding for campaigns. To make matters even worse, we have Republicans in the state house using clean elections AND raising money for PACs (including the Speaker of the House, are you bleeping kidding me?) We are hypocrits if we rail against the Dems for doing this and not expose our own. I am tired of hearing about Sussman and that's why Republicans need clean elections. Listen, I watched a very good friend go through being "Sussmaned", I know what it was like for him. Sussman puts his pants on the same way we do every morning, they are just better pants. It is time for us to stop using him as an excuse and get out there and earn it on our own merits.

It would be nice if the leadership in the GOP was spreading the message of doing what is right instead of doing what is easy. It builds credibility for Republicans when we discourage our own from doing something that doesn't pass the straight face test.

Of course I am right. I used to live in Lyman for 25+ years and I used to live in Newfield for about 5 years.
:-)

I do remind you though that it is District 138, not 142! (lol)

I'm not opposed to the public financing of individual campaigns, but you've got to follow the law! I do not believe that the money should be able to be transferred to any kind of PAC though. Has anyone heard how he will be replaced? Special election, etc!

Districts are portable. Most states have redistricted based on the 2010 census. It is now 2012. It would make sense for Maine to redistrict while we have a majority.

Maine's redrawing it's legislative districts in 1983, 1993, 2003 and 2013 is in the Maine Constitution and has been since 1980 if I recall correctly, around then anyway. The constitution was amended last November (Question 4) to move Legislative redistricting after 2013 ahead two years to 2021 and every 10 years thereafter. The bill that became that amendment was amended after the successful lawsuit forcing an earlier congressional redistricting to move future realligned congressional and county commissioner redistrictings to 2023 and every 10 years thereafter. The amended constitutional amendment that voters adopted last November also put the provisions for congressional and county commissioner redistricting (including the requirement that a plan get a 2/3 vote in each house of the Legislature or else be drawn by the Maine Supreme Judicial Court) into the Maine Constutiton so they can't be "notwithstood" as the Democrats in 2003 and Republicans in 2011 both feignted at doing. The Republican threat to notwithstand the 2/3 requirement was made most public after the constitutional amendment banning future simple majority congressional redistrictings had been placed on the ballot, although I can't really fault them for trying to take advantage of woeful miscommunication and naivete on the Democratic side at the time.

Anyway, Maine's Constitution specifies that the next Legislative redistricting will be done in 2013, and it's a little late for someone to sue in federal court to force an earlier redrawing of the lines. Even if someone had done that earlier and succeeded in forcing a Legislative redistricting in time for the 2012 elections (not a sure thing as the Desena suit was), the 2/3 or Supreme Judicial Court requirement for Leigslative redistricting was already in the Maine Constitution and would presumably have still applied, so no group would have felt sure that it would get what it wanted. That more than the fact that the suit wouldn't have been a slam dunk is why I nobody has challenged the 2012 elections for the Maine House and Senate being held under the existing lines that were drawn in 2003 based on the 2000 census (unless someone just did I haven't yet read about it).

2:45 PM
Maine lawmaker to serve 6 months for forgery

The Associated Press

ALFRED — A former state lawmaker from Alfred is going to jail for six months for misdemeanor forgery and theft charges in connection with his 2010 election campaign.

Republican David Burns represented House District 138 for...a year before resigning his House seat Jan. 31. He pleaded guilty today in York County Superior Court to three counts of theft and three counts of forgery. He also was ordered to pay $2,384 in restitution.

.... Burns reports to the York County Jail on Friday.

Feh.

Very sad indeed! I guess the silver lining in this cloud is that it's not a felony conviction.

Curious if he was a democrat what the response would be.

I'll correct that for you MidCoast.
Curious if he were a democrat what the response would be.
[Unattained condition. Verb must be in subjunctive mood.]

It is surprising that there have not been more comments on his case. If he were a Democrat I'm sure we would see quite a trashing. Anyone who accepts a position of public trust should be held to a higher standard. I was dumb-founded when the original information came out on this case and I remain so. What was he thinking? I was in law enforcement for 26 years and so I'm not surprised by much. I've seen many a person ruin their life and reputation due to greed and stupidity.

He was my seat-mate in the House. Too bad. Smart guy and a war hero.

It is surprising that there have not been more comments on his case. If he were a Democrat I'm sure we would see quite a trashing.

Perhaps... perhaps not. If he were a Democrat I'm not sure the story would have even been reported.

Maybe I'm lookin' through rose colored glasses, but it seems to me that alleged transgressions by Republicans are generally followed hereabouts by comments that support getting them out of office until adjudicated and, if they are convicted, heartfelt expressions of concern for them as individuals, hopes for healing, and recognition that they shouldna dunnit.

In contrast to discussions of alleged transgressions by Dems elsewhere, who were 1) framed, and 2) screwed.