For months, as you know, LePage blocked the sale of nearly $11.5 million in voter-approved conservation bonds administered by the Land for Maine’s Future program. LePage weathered months of criticism for the move, but largely defused the issue earlier this month when he suddenly decided to release the bonds.
Still hanging out there was an audit of the organization, which was being led by LePage’s Office of Policy and Management. Secrecy around the audit prevailed until the very end. I asked for a copy of the audit report on Dec. 14 after I’d heard it had been drafted. I didn’t hear a response, so I upped my request to include a Freedom of Access Act request the following day. Five business days later, on Dec. 21, the LePage administration acknowledged receipt of my request but did not provide a copy of the report, even though it was dated Dec. 18 and published on the Land for Maine’s Future website on Monday.
At 3:25 p.m. Tuesday, the administration sent a link to the report. This kind of effort by members of the public and journalists to receive what are unquestionably public documents is typical, unfortunately for Mainers’ right to know.
The more than 55-page report — plus another 140 pages of appendices — includes just about everything you ever wanted to know about the program, except maybe for whatever smoking gun LePage was looking for when he ordered the investigation.
Land for Maine’s Future Program — Government Evaluation Act
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