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WISCASSET, Maine — The Maine lawmaker pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges alleging he defrauded the state’s taxpayer-funded campaign system.
First-term Rep. Clinton Collamore, D-Waldoboro, answered “yes, your honor” when asked whether he intended to plead not guilty to 20 felony charges and another 13 misdemeanors at his first court appearance following an indictment handed down in December by a Lincoln County grand jury.
Collamore has remained silent on his case since it was made public last month in a memo from the Maine Ethics Commission after its investigation found more than 30 signatures on petitions he used to qualify for the state’s Clean Election system were fraudulent.
The lawmaker has remained in office despite House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland, calling on him to resign the same day the charges were made public. She later removed Collamore from the Legislature’s wildlife panel.
However, he has continued to get his legislative salary and benefits despite not showing up for legislative work over the past month. Collamore has gotten nearly $8,000 in salary, allowances and benefits since taking office in December.
Talbot Ross has not answered questions about whether she would initiate a process to remove him from office, which would require a two-thirds vote of the House.