AUGUSTA — Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine, said on Tuesday that she and her husband, Donald Sussman, have separated and plan to get a divorce.
“It is a very amicable and truly mutual decision,” said Pingree in a written statement to the Bangor Daily News. “It is sad for both of us, but we continue to have the utmost respect for each other. This is the only statement either of us will have on this private family matter.”
Pingree has been attacked by the Maine Republican Party in recent days about a financial reporting deadline that Pingree missed on Aug. 13. According to Pingree, the House Ethics Committee has said that she no longer is required to list Sussman’s financial information on her annual disclosure form. Pingree has opted to use a 30-day grace period to file the paperwork.
Pingree married Sussman, a billionaire financier, on June 18, 2011. Pingree said she has been telling her family and friends about her impending change in marital status in recent days.
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