U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) has apparently deputized her official government staff to throw political punches on her behalf in potential violation of rules that prohibit expending government resources for political purposes. In an op-ed published today in the Bangor Daily News, Collins’s official office communications director, Annie Clark, made explicitly political charges against a potential 2020 challenger to Collins, raising serious questions about who authorized the op-ed, and whether it was composed using government resources on official time. As of the most recent FEC filing, Clark is not an employee of the Senator’s campaign.
“On its face it looks like Senator Collins and her staff have committed a serious violation of Senate rules. Defending your boss from a potential political opponent in the pages of the local newspaper doesn’t fall within the scope of government duties,” said American Bridge spokesperson Amelia Penniman. “It’s obvious that Collins is scared of 2020 and is resorting to desperate measures nearly two years out from Election Day.”
Read the op-ed here.
Published: Dec 20, 2018