In Rep. Heather Sirocki’s recent letter (“Testimony reveals Eves had advantage in Good Will-Hinckley job search,” Dec. 7), she notes a “smoking gun” that is a red herring for self-admitted extortion activities of Gov. LePage regarding Good Will-Hinckley and Mark Eves.

Having attended the Government Oversight Committee’s last three sessions, I witnessed the confirmation of the facts of LePage’s thuglike actions. Abuse of power – absolutely; criminal – possible; impeachable action – definitely.

Except for a sentence stating that the employment search was fair – to which five Republican members took exception – the committee endorsed the Office of Program Evaluation and Government Accountability report.

The exception, cited in Sirocki’s letter along with the testimony of one individual as her “smoking gun,” concerned the attempt by LePage and, later, his supporters on the committee to justify his actions.

It is precedent-setting for a politician to interfere in the hiring process of a private, nonprofit organization. Should that precedent stand, as Sen. Roger Katz pointed out at the last meeting, then regardless of a governor’s political affiliation, no one is safe from intimidation regarding an individual’s employment, or a private organization’s internal activities.

This is a threat to every citizen of this state if they choose to oppose the will of the state’s chief executive. LePage has pulled this stunt in the past. The Statoil contract is one example, wherein rather than fighting, the company simply moved its activities to Scotland, with a huge loss to Maine.

The same stunt is being used regarding the Land for Maine’s Future bonds. The question is whether we will stand up to an individual who, as governor, uses barroom threats to dictate his will.

Sirocki’s attempt to use a private organization’s internal action to justify LePage’s unethical actions is a simple smokescreen to cover action by LePage that should be repudiated.

Mike Loewe

Boothbay