PORTLAND — Gov. Paul LePage plans to claim immunity against a lawsuit brought by House Speaker Mark Eves over actions that led to the rescinding of a job offer, his lawyer said.
A procedural filing by lawyer Patrick Strawbridge contains the first glimpse of the governor’s defense, saying a motion to dismiss the lawsuit would raise “substantial claims of immunity” as well as question the sufficiency of the constitutional claims raised by Eves.
The filing, first reported by the Portland Press Herald, was made on New Year’s Eve in a request to exceed the page limit for a memo to accompany the motion to dismiss.
Strawbridge, who was granted the request, declined to elaborate Monday.
The federal lawsuit accuses the Republican governor of violating the rights of Eves, a Democrat, by pressuring Good Will-Hinckley into rescinding a job offer. Eves said the governor “blackmailed” the charter school operator by threatening to withhold state funds.
The political dispute threatens to be a distraction as lawmakers reconvene on Wednesday.
The allegations led to an investigation by the Government Oversight Committee, which endorsed an independent report that found that the acting education commissioner withheld a quarterly payment while LePage sought to influence the board of Good Will-Hinckley.
All parties suggest that a formal impeachment is unlikely but other options include a formal rebuke or a broader investigation into the governor’s tactics.
Several lawmakers announced Monday that they intend to introduce an “order of impeachment” calling for creation of a 13-member special investigation committee to look into eight different instances in which LePage allegedly abused his power.
Critics say such an action could get the session started on the wrong foot.
Eves said he will support an order holding LePage accountable for his actions only if there’s enough support for the measure to pass.
Attorney General Janet Mills, a Democrat, declined to open her own investigation into LePage’s conduct, saying there was no basis for a criminal investigation.
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