The "Nearly" Standard: LePage Gives an Inside Perspective on Dealing with Maine's Legacy Media

Lauren LePage, a long-time conservative operative in Maine politics, provides an insider’s perspective on what it’s like to deal with the Bangor Daily News and other legacy press outlets as she navigates Republican Party politics. LePage is currently the campaign manager for Republican gubernatorial candidate Ben Midgley, and she’s also working for her father, former Gov. Paul LePage, on his campaign for Maine’s Second Congressional District. Be the first to get investigative news and Robinson Report episodes delivered to your inbox:Relief Fund Money for Lewiston Survivors Steered to Inter-Linked NGOs Instead of Victims, Residents SayIn the wake of the October 25, 2023 mass shooting in Lewiston, thousands of Mainers and donors across the country collectively contributed more than $6.6 million to support victims, families, and the community. More than two years later, questions persist about where almost a third of those funds have gone.The Maine Community Foundation (MCF) was identified as the primary organization to collect and distribute the relief funds, which were promoted as a way to directly help those most affected by the tragedy. Its distribution of this money is what has led many to wonder aloud why a portion of the funds was sent to seemingly unrelated groups.Financial records show that $4.7 million was eventually distributed to survivors and to the families of the deceased. However, approximately $1.9 million of the total went to nonprofit organizations rather than directly to victims. The decision to divide the funds in this way has raised questions from community members, survivors, and former state officials regarding transparency and oversight of the distribution process.Read more here…Uncertainty Mounts About Who’s in the Mix for Maine’s CD2 House Race After Golden’s DepartureFour-term congressman Jared Golden’s (D-Maine) surprise announcement on Wednesday that he would not be seeking re-election drastically altered the high-stakes race for Maine’s 2nd Congressional District seat.Rep. Golden attributed his decision to growing political polarization on both sides. He ended his announcement without endorsing a successor but appeared to take shots at both Republican frontrunner former Gov. Paul LePage and Democratic challenger Matt Dunlap, Maine’s state auditor.Prior to Golden’s announcement, he was polling below former Gov. LePage in multiple polls, with a May poll from Notus placing LePage at 48 percent compared with Golden’s 43 percent.The more recent University of New Hampshire (UNH) Pine Tree State poll from October gave LePage a five-point lead over the incumbent, with a 49-44 percent margin.Golden has historically won the CD2 House Seat in a district that voted for President Donald Trump three times while portraying himself as a moderate, willing to break with his party and work across the aisle on certain issues. Read more here…How Does Maine’s Tax Landscape Stack Up?A new report from the Tax Foundation analyzes the burden imposed by states upon their residents, taking into consideration sales taxes, income taxes, property taxes, and more.Despite finding itself in the middle of the pack overall, a closer look at the details shows that Maine stands out on both the positive and negative ends of the scale.The primary factor boosting Maine’s placement on the list is its relatively low sales tax rate, which was found to be the 9th best in the country.Two categories in which Maine was found to neither particularly good or bad were individual income taxes and unemployment insurance taxes.Read more here… Get full access to The Robinson Report at robinsonreport.substack.com/subscribe