Radio Address: Clean Election Money is Welfare for Politicians

October 7, 2015

(MP3 Audio)

Question 1 on the November ballot asks Maine voters if they want to increase Clean Election funding for candidates.

Don?t be fooled: it is just more welfare for politicians.

Hello, this is Governor Paul LePage.

Question 1 is disguised as a way to disclose who pays for political ads and to increase fines on candidates who violate campaign finance laws.

But it doubles and even triples the amount of taxpayer money for political candidates. In a primary race, each candidate for Governor could get up to $1 million.

In the general election, each candidate for Governor could get up to $2 million. In the last election, the three candidates for Governor would have gotten $9 million in taxpayer funding. In 2010, it would have been $15 million.

Giving millions of dollars of your hard-earned money to politicians is just wrong. I have never taken Clean Election money. If candidates can?t get enough support from the Maine people to win an election, they shouldn?t run.

Candidates for House and Senate already get welfare for politicians. House candidates now get around $5,000. It would triple to $15,000. Senate candidates now get about $20,000. It would triple to $60,000.

This is ridiculous. Taxpayers should not subsidize campaigns for politicians.

Even worse, Question 1 will not keep big money out of politics. It does not limit the activity of Political Action Committees (PACs).

Question 1 would require listing the top three donors to a PAC, but it is very difficult to find out the names of those donors. Donors can funnel money through legal organizations that are not required to reveal their names.

Question 1 would increase penalties for violators. However, if you can?t determine who the donors are, it?s nearly impossible to fine them.

It?s no surprise who is behind Question 1: union bosses and very rich people from other states, including the partner of Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes.

Supporters of Question 1 say they want clean money for local candidates. But they are using a George Soros-style of bundling dark money from out-of-state millionaires and billionaires who hide their identities.

Unions are often the biggest donors to candidates using taxpayer money, but union bosses never reveal their names. The hypocrisy behind Question 1 is stunning.

Make no mistake: billionaires, union bosses and out-of-state liberal activists are trying to buy Maine?s elections. It?s up to you to stop them.