Dozens of Maine Lawmakers May Have Failed to Disclose Changes in Income

Dozens of Republican and Democratic state lawmakers may have violated a law requiring them to update their public income disclosure when they or their spouse change jobs.

The memo from the Maine Ethics Commission to legislative leaders states that as many as 58 legislators may not have updated their income statements within 30 days of a significant change in income, employment or affiliation with a political committee or organization. The requirement is designed to inform the public about a legislator’s employment, which can then be checked against legislation they support and potential conflicts of interest.

The requirement is featured on the first page of the legislator’s income disclosure, but the ethics memo suggests that more than a third of the lawmakers who served last year didn’t follow it.

In apparent response to the memo, three Republican senators filed updated their income statements Wednesday.

Read more: http://mainepublic.org/post/memo-dozens-maine-lawmakers-may-have-failed-disclose-changes-income#stream/0