Wampum

Back in the last cycle, Maine Independent Green Party legislative analyist and legislative campaign coordinator Ben Chipman was accuesed by Democrats of an elections code violation. Pat Colwell, then Speaker of the House and now the Chair of the Maine Democratic Party, suspended Ben without pay, because ... Ben had been accused of something by someone.

The underlying facts turn on a off-cycle election in Biddeford, where someone got onto the ballot as a Green, part of a complex and ultimately fruitless scheme to avoid a tax eviction, which no seasoned operative would have gotten near once the local facts were in evidence. But it served the Dems well to go into anguished ethical convultions over the "rigged election" in Biddeford (which the eventual evictee did not win) and the Unethical Greens, particularly in Portland where the Greens held one seat, and were competitive in three additional races.

It sidelined Ben. I advised my candidate to keep a safe distance from Ben. The Dems didn't capture the one seat held by a Green, but they narrowly beat back all three competitive challenges, one by very, very few votes.

So yesterday a jury deliberated about a lobster roll and a side of slaw and some fries before finding 12 to zip that Ben was not guilty of whatever calumny Pat slathered him with. I hope Ben sues Pat for the lost pay. It is one thing to compete. It is another thing all together to lie, cheat, and steal, and Pat did just that.

In the interests of full disclosure, I didn't have time to unenroll before leaving Maine, so I'm still enrolled as a Green.