Democrats spotlight criminal records of four Republican candidates for the Legislature

[jpak]

Source: Kennebec Journal

AUGUSTA –The Maine Democratic Party released documents Friday highlighting the criminal records of four Republican candidates for the Legislature, including one sitting lawmaker seeking reelection with a 25-year record of guilty pleas and convictions for drug trafficking and other offenses.

One of the other candidates is no longer running for a seat in Belfast and another, who was previously asked by Republican leadership to withdraw, remains on the ballot in South Portland but has not been actively campaigning.

The one incumbent, Rep. Jeffrey K. Pierce of Dresden, is seeking his third term. He was convicted or pleaded guilty to one felony count and one misdemeanor count of drug trafficking, among multiple offenses between 1981 and 2006.

Pierce, 56, is the leading House Republican on the Legislature’s Government Oversight Committee, and he also sits on the Marine Resources Committee. He is running for a leadership position in the House, operates a political action committee that has raised nearly $40,000 and donated to the campaign of at least one of the other candidates who has a criminal record.

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Read more: https://www.centralmaine.com/2018/10/19/democrats-spotlight-criminal-records-of-four-republican-candidates-for-the-legislature/

[Scarsdale]

1. Wow. The gop

really attracts the unlawful candidates, doesn't it? In a small state like Maine, here are four lawless gop operatives. I wonder what whiny Susan Collins would say if these clowns were democratic candidates?

[bucolic_frolic]

2. Makes me think GOP finds lawbreakers by design as a means of controlling them

Someone's pulling the strings, and is holding something over someone's head ... i doubt even LePage is the top gun, or Collins

[gibraltar72]

3. The Republicans are not sending us their best.

[Judi Lynn]

4. Here's the first one mentioned by name, in a photo, standing between Gov. Page and Susan Collins:

It’s amazing how quickly we’ve become acclimatized to some of the truly horrendous things Maine Republican elected officials now say on social media.

The latest comes from Rep. Jeff Pierce of Dresden, who last week posted a statement reading in part “Its time to deport all Muslims. Its them or us! They can not be trusted!”

“We have yet another example of a Republican elected official in Maine contributing to an alarming trend of hatemongering on social media.” said Democratic House Majority Leader Jeff McCabe in a press release in response. “We cannot allow Rep. Jeff Pierce’s call to deport all Muslims to stand. We must all join together against extremists, not play into their hands. Rep. Jeff Pierce must apologize, and the leaders of his caucus and his party must make clear whether they embrace or reject this bigotry.”

More:
http://thetippingpoint.bangordailynews.com/2015/12/07/state-politics/awful-bigoted-comments-by-maine-republican-legislators-are-now-routine/

The posted original article shows him to be a total jerk, according to the record.

~ ~ ~

The 2nd one mentioned is William “Billy Bob” Faulkingham, the face on the last face on the right:

Maine House GOP candidates line up
April 18, 2018 by Kate Cough on News, Politics

. . .

Faulkingham, a two-term selectman in Winter Harbor, wrote in an email that he is running to “defend the Second Amendment in Maine, defend and support the fisheries, reduce government spending and protect all people’s civil liberties.”

“I truly desire to have a government that is least involved in people’s lives.”

Faulkingham is a lifetime member of the National Rifle Association (NRA), the Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, the Downeast Lobsterman’s Association, the Maine Lobsterman’s Association and the Knights of Pythias. He is on the board of directors at the Winter Harbor Lobsterman’s Co-op.

https://www.ellsworthamerican.com/maine-news/political-news/maine-house-gop-candidates-line-up/



The original article has this to say about William "Billy Bob" Faulkingham:

Pierce’s Common Sense for ME Leadership PAC has contributed to the campaign of William Faulkingham, who is running for House District 136 in Washington and Hancock counties.

According to Democrats, Faulkingham has also been convicted of assault and in 2003 he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and criminal mischief following another assault charge. According to court records, Faulkingham, “repeatedly holler[ed] (expletive) you, gave an obscene gesture, to wit, the finger, and threw a bucket of human excrement at or on … ” individuals identified as the victims of the crime, Democrats said.

~ ~ ~

Christopher Hoy is mentioned in the original article:



Christopher Hoy

Republican legislative candidate asked to drop out of race due to criminal history
by Marissa BodnarWednesday, September 12th 2018

SOUTH PORTLAND (WGME) -- Leaders from both the Republican and Democratic parties are calling on a candidate for the state house to drop out of his race because of his criminal history.


Christopher Hoy, 28, is running for House District 33, which includes South Portland.

State records show Hoy has been convicted of six misdemeanors, including reckless conduct, operating under the influence, and violating a protective order.

Twice, he was charged with domestic violence assault, which was dropped when he pleaded to lesser charges. According to court records, a pregnant family member reported in 2015 that Hoy kicked her in the abdomen, pushed her to the ground and grabbed her by the throat.

https://wgme.com/news/local/republican-legislative-candidate-asked-to-drop-out-of-race-due-to-criminal-history

~ ~ ~

Bevelyn Beatty was mentioned in the original article:

Beatty withdraws from House District 97 race
Dodge apparent winner in uncontested race for Belfast seat
By Ethan Andrews | Sep 07, 2018

BELFAST — Bevelyn Beatty, the Republican candidate for House District 97, said Sept. 7 that she intends to withdraw from the race.

Speaking by phone from New York, Beatty said she hadn't received support from God or the Republican party in her bid to represent Belfast, Northport and Waldo in the Legislature.

"When God wants you to do something, he's going to provide," she said. "I feel like, in this mission, there was not provision brought forth."

Beatty said she felt that she "stood alone" in the race for the Belfast seat in the Legislature, and that Republican Party support "wasn't there."

A born again Christian who moved to Belfast after traveling as a street preacher, Beatty wrote on her website that she ran for the Legislature because "some laws of this land violate God’s word."

On Friday, she said she plans to stay in New York and focus on her ministry and motivational speaking.

"At the end of the day, I serve God," she said. "I don't serve man."

More:
https://waldo.villagesoup.com/p/beatty-withdraws-from-house-district-97-race/1777692

(That seems to echo what so many of the Fundies seem to think, doesn't it? They confuse their subconscious with "God", it seems.)

~ ~ ~

Great summary from the end of the original article, by the Democratic spokesman:

A spokesman for the Democratic Party said they don’t expect candidates to have a “spotless” records but the pattern of convictions was disturbing. “It’s not that these guys made one mistake,” Democratic Party spokesman Chris Glynn said. “There’s a pattern here and we think voters should know about that.”