AUGUSTA — The Maine Ethics Commission has reduced former mayoral candidate Phil Spiller’s fines for three late finance report filings from $2,395 to $900.
Under Maine election laws, a candidate must file a report when $1,000 or more is spent on the campaign in a single day starting Oct. 23. Spiller failed to file three required reports, according to City Clerk Angela Holmes, and requested the partial appeal of the fines.
He also was fined $275 for filing his 11-day campaign finance report three days after the Oct. 25 deadline.
Spiller filed for a partial appeal of the fines with the Ethics Commission.
“I did not believe it fair to request a full waiver and appreciate the consistency and merit of the State Commission on their decision, based on mitigating circumstances. I take complete and full responsibility for the unintentional late filings,” Spiller told the American Journal. “In acting as my own campaign treasurer, I certainly appreciate the efforts of the Westbrook City Clerk’s Office to educate and train us all. Newer candidates are often faced with many unforeseen challenges.”
In his written appeal to the commission, he said his reports were late because he was new to politics and because he had removed his treasurer in the midst of his campaign.
“Initially, my Domestic Partner of nearly 9 years had initially expressed interest in being my Treasurer, so I submitted her name,” Spiller wrote in the appeal filed with the Ethics Commission. “Unfortunately, when it became apparent that she would not only not support my candidacy – but that one of the other Mayoral candidates would have her full support instead – I removed her as my Treasurer. My suspicions were evidenced not only by her monetary contribution to another Mayoral campaign afterwards. … but also quite actively discrediting my character and campaign on local social media and throughout the Westbrook community.”
Spiller said he then took on the treasurer role himself, and that it was a lot to handle as a new candidate who also had a full-time job. He also said he had not seen adequate reminders to file his finance reports.
“Within hours of receiving that phone call from the City Clerk (about late reports) and finally receiving more specific guidance on the 24-Hour reports I had the reports quickly submitted,” Spiller wrote.
The fines were reduced to align with a staff policy within the Ethics Commission, which aims to fine $300 per late 24-hour filing report, according to Holmes. The policy was adopted by the Ethics Commission at the end of this year, following the initial fines on Spiller.
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