LEWISTON — Over the weekend, Lucas St. Clair took issue with questions I have raised regarding the connections between his campaign and the Maine Outdoor Alliance, a dark-money group attempting to influence the 2nd District Democratic primary. In a commentary in the Portland Press Herald on June 2, St. Clair stated that Democrats must stop making the same mistakes and focus on winning. He pointed to tough primary debates in 2014 and 2016 in his case for party unity above all else.

While I agree that Democrats must stop making the same mistakes, it’s clear he and I have learned fundamentally different lessons from our party’s past.

St. Clair believes it’s a mistake for Democrats to confront issues that reveal differences within our party. I believe it’s a mistake to continue sweeping dirt under the rug.

As has become increasingly clear, we have a rigged political system where money equals power, and it’s the establishment’s ties to corporations and super-wealthy special interests that have fractured the core of our party’s coalition.

If politicians continue to play by the old rules, they should be criticized – regardless of whether they are Democratic, Republican or independent. And in this case, it’s not acceptable for St. Clair to use pleas for party unity as a defense against a lack of transparency.

In this Democratic primary, an anonymous group, the Maine Outdoor Alliance, has spent approximately half a million dollars on deceiving “issue ads” that are nothing more than thinly veiled campaign ads for Lucas St. Clair. The organization apparently was created to exploit loopholes in campaign finance laws, and the group’s only known officer is the best man from St. Clair’s wedding. This organization is an “astroturf” entity, created for no other purpose than to sway the race using dark money – that’s money that is untraceable and unaccountable.

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Yet the St. Clair campaign suggests we turn a blind eye to these details and, in the name of Democratic Party unity, stay focused on winning in November.

I believe our path to victory in November begins by taking bold action, turning away from the status quo and running a different kind of campaign that isn’t simply about who has access to the most money. That’s how we begin regaining trust from voters who feel the Democratic Party has left them behind.

Since speaking out about the connections between the St. Clair campaign and the Maine Outdoor Alliance, I have received criticism from some Democrats. That’s OK. I can take it.

But if you think I’m wrong to point out the obvious ties between St. Clair and this group, consider this. What would you think if a secretive organization with close ties to U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin, his family and his business exploited loopholes in campaign finance laws to get ahead in the upcoming general election? I imagine Democrats would be outraged, and rightfully so.

I believe leaders must demonstrate through actions why they are most fit to lead, and to me, the sum of all things suggests the connections between the Maine Outdoor Alliance and the St. Clair campaign are too close for comfort.

Driving this point home is my belief that campaign finance reform is one of the most important issues in politics. Big-money special interests have too much power over Congress, and until we address this problem we will never fix our expensive health care system, close tax loopholes or address oil dependency, climate change or bad trade deals.

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That’s why I will continue to speak out about money in politics, and it’s why I believe we need more transparency and accountability in our elections. It may make the Democratic establishment uncomfortable, but I believe it’s the only way to make real change happen in Washington and in Maine.

Since announcing my candidacy for Maine’s 2nd District, I have pledged to reject money from corporate political action committees, and to condemn secret dark-money groups that lack transparency. My campaign is powered by the grass roots, and our average campaign contribution size is under $100.

St. Clair says that we need to focus on getting Democrats elected. But to me, this primary vote isn’t just about choosing our nominee to challenge Rep. Poliquin. It’s also about the future of our party. It’s about who and what we fight for and the principles that we stand by.

To beat Bruce Poliquin, we must get back to our roots as the party that fights for working, middle-class people while holding ourselves accountable to a higher standard of leadership. We must be the change we believe in.

— Special to the Press Herald


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