AUGUSTA — Gov. Paul LePage’s staff violated policy by texting about a blue ribbon commission meeting at the Blaine House. The administration later changed the no-text policy.
Maine Public Broadcasting Network reports that LePage’s policy prohibiting state employees from using electronic messaging to conduct government business was updated after officials used text messages to communicate about the meeting in which the media was banned.
LePage issued the directive banning texts after a document-shredding controversy at the Maine Center for Disease Control. During the investigation, a former CDC director said she was instructed to use text messages because they were immune from the Freedom of Access Act.
MPBN said the administration updated its policy, effective Wednesday, to lift the ban on texts, as long as they can archived as public records.
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