Former Maine Gov. Paul LePage and members of his staff billed Maine taxpayers at least $22,000 for room reservations and other expenses at Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C. over a two year period, the Portland Press Herald reported Sunday.
That paper and the Maine Sunday Telegram obtained documents showing LePage’s administration paid between $362 and $1,100 per night per room a the hotel during trips to the nation’s capital, the paper reported. The documents, covering fiscal years 2017 and 2018 and part of 2019, came in response to a state Freedom of Access Act request that long went unfulfilled — until the Republican governor left office.
Per the papers’ documents, a staffer in the state comptroller’s office flagged the cost-per-room as “WAY more than the allowed amount.”
In the Press Herald’s words, LePage and his staff spent “hundreds of dollars on filet mignon or other expensive menu items at the restaurant in the Trump hotel.”
Of the “roughly” dozen occasions on which LePage or his staff spent taxpayer money at the hotel since March 2017, either on rooms or at the hotel’s restaurant, the costliest trip came to $6,534.72, the Press Herald reported. LePage, two staffers, and two Maine State Police officers reached that sum after three nights at the hotel.
District Judge Peter J. Messitte cited LePage’s stays at Trump’s D.C. hotel multiple times in his rulings allowing an Emoluments Clause lawsuit against Trump to proceed. LePage called the judge “an imbecile” in response.
No! You’re the imbecile!
besides paying it back along with a hefty fine,
hope he becomes trumps bunk buddy at the no go hotel someday.
Hey, what’s so surprising about one aging corrupt fat slob supporting another aging corrupt fat slob?
Manus manum lavat … but they never get clean.
And remember, this is when he was blocking the Medicaid expansion (first by vetoing the legislature, then by slow-walking the referendum passed overwhelmingly by voters). Words fail in describing that disgusting man.
At least we have Janet Mills now in Maine. She has been pitch perfect so far. And LePage led to ranked choice, which is a fantastic means of bringing more views and civility into the process.
If you know how tight Mainers are with money (and how tight money is for most Mainers), you know this is an astronomical sum to the people there.