STATE LAWMAKER ASKS POLIQUIN TO STEP DOWN CITING DERELICTION OF DUTIES

Letter to Bruce Poliquin – May 30, 2012

AUGUSTA—Today State Senator Phil Bartlett asked Maine State Treasurer Bruce Poliquin to step down from his position as State Treasurer. Citing dereliction of duties, Bartlett notes that Poliquin, as a Constitutional Officer, “has put his personal interests ahead of the the people of Maine.” As a Constitutional Officer and State Treasurer, Poliquin is in a position of trust and is tasked with first and foremost safeguarding the interests of Maine’s working families.

In addition to the letter, Bartlett issued the following statement:

“Maine families are struggling in these tough economic times. They are concerned about putting food on their tables, making sure their children have health care and a decent education, and maybe someday having the means to retire.

Maine’s public servants are tasked first and foremost with safeguarding the interests of our working families. Time and time again, Maine State Treasurer Bruce Poliquin has chosen not to answer this call. He has kowtowed to special interests and squandered state resources on a political witch hunt. He has exploited loopholes for personal gain, forcing his neighbors to pay more for services that he uses. He has thumbed his nose at the Maine Constitution by engaging in prohibited personal business dealings. For these reasons, he must resign.

He has pushed the ethical envelope and skirted around doing what is right for the people of Maine.

The recent independent investigation into the Maine State Housing Authority has revealed another example of exceedingly poor judgment on the part of Treasurer Bruce Poliquin. His rush to judgment against an outstanding public servant and his willingness to believe and act on whatever he was told by the ideologically driven Maine Heritage Policy Center call in to question his ability to perform the essential functions of his job as Treasurer.

Sadly, this is not the first time Mr. Poliquin has exercised poor judgment. He engaged in business activities, including engaging in and benefitting from the selling and managing of his multi-million dollar real estate transactions, despite the fact that such activities are expressly prohibited by Maine’s Constitution. He also took advantage of a tax loophole to avoid paying tens of thousands of dollars in property taxes for his multi-million dollar coastal home. And, worse, he secured this tree growth tax credit for property that knowingly cannot be harvested for timber, as required for eligibability for the credit. Finally, he has issued weekly blog emails from his office that more closely resemble ideological right-wing manifestos than information pertinent to the office he holds.

Mr. Poliquin’s poor judgment and questionable ethics are casting a shadow over the Treasurer’s Office. It is time for Mr. Poliquin to do what is best for the people of Maine and resign his post. Maine people deserve a Treasurer who puts the interests of Maine people before politics and the pursuit of personal gain.”