A forum on Maine’s budget came to an abrupt end Thursday night after an ex-lawmaker threw a jar of Vaseline at Gov. Paul LePage (R), the Portland Press-Herald reported.
Joanne Twomey, a former Democratic state representative, was engaged in a heated back-and-forth with LePage about his plan to axe the state’s income tax when she approached the stage and tossed a jar of Vaseline at the governor, according to the report.
The jar of Vaseline appeared to be a reference to crude sexual remarks LePage made during a 2013 budget battle. The governor reportedly said at the time that a Democratic state senator “claims to be for the people, but he’s the first one to give it to the people without providing Vaseline.”
Security escorted Twomey out of the event and LePage then left the stage, according to the report.
A spokesman for LePage, Peter Steele, told the newspaper that while the incident was an unfortunate end to the forum, law enforcement needed to show there was “zero tolerance” for someone rushing a sitting governor as Twomey did. He added that he wasn’t sure if police would pursue the issue. (Twomey was not charged with any crime).
For her part, Twomey defended the stunt.
“What he is about to do to this state, you have to be out of order,” she told reporters after the event, as quoted by the Press-Herald. “You cannot live with those policies and not speak up.”
LePage also grabbed headlines recently for kicking up a feud with renowned author and Maine resident Stephen King, whom he accused of moving to Florida to evade the state’s income tax.
Local TV station WCSH has partial video of the incident:
This post has been updated.
