AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage has threatened to withdraw his support of a commission tasked with the emotionally charged process of unearthing a history of injustices against tribal children and their families if it continues with the involvement of Secretary of State Matt Dunlap.
According to Adrienne Bennett, LePage’s spokeswoman, the governor sees a conflict of interest around Dunlap’s involvement with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which was created in 2011 through a letter of intent signed by LePage and tribal leaders. A selection panel that included representatives from state government convened last year and in February of this year, the five members of the commission were sworn in during a ceremony in Hermon.
“Because Mr. Dunlap holds a fiduciary and ethical relationship of trust with the State of Maine as its Secretary of State and simultaneously serves as a truth and reconciliation commissioner, the governor believes the independence of the commission is compromised,” Bennett said in a prepared statement. “Mr. Dunlap’s capacity as Secretary of State makes it impossible for him to serve independently or in a personal capacity as commissioner.”
Last week, LePage threatened to pull support for the commission if the Passamaquoddy Tribe didn’t adhere to state rules regarding elver fishing.
According to Newell Lewey, a Passamaquoddy official who sat in on a phone call from the governor, LePage threatened to withdraw support for issues of importance to the Passamaquoddy — including the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and a possible casino in Washington County — during a brief call with tribal leaders last Monday morning.
Later in the week, tribal members met with lawmakers and the Department of Marine Fisheries commissioner and said that progress had been made on resolving the elver issue.
Esther Attean, who has been involved with the formation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and is transitioning to being its director of community organization as its work begins in earnest, said Monday morning that neither she nor anyone associated with the commission has heard anything directly from the governor’s office.
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