AUGUSTA — The Maine Turnpike Authority has canceled its contracts for outside lobbyists, ending a practice that was called into question by the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability.
The decision, announced today, comes after the board of the turnpike authority voted last week to end the practice of making donations to outside groups and organizations.
Spokesman Scott Tompkins says lobbying expenses during a five-year time frame totaled $133,689, far lower than the $577,237 figure cited by the accountability office.
The turnpike has been under fire since news broke that turnpike executives gave away $157,000 in gift cards from high-end hotels and restaurants. The Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability also identified at least $454,000 in additional sponsorships and donations.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
Success. Please wait for the page to reload. If the page does not reload within 5 seconds, please refresh the page.
Enter your email and password to access comments.
Hi, to comment on stories you must . This profile is in addition to your subscription and website login.
Already have a commenting profile? .
Invalid username/password.
Please check your email to confirm and complete your registration.
Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.
Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.