For the record, Jonathan Fulford is a Clean Election Candidate and adheres to the stricter laws that create a firewall between his campaign and outside, independent expenditures.  He has no coordination with or control over outside corporations, groups, or individuals spending money on his election. That’s the law. 

In contrast, Michael Thibodeau controls three political funds with contributions and expenditures totaling nearly $400K in this election cycle. Two of these funds are leadership PACs, whose purpose is to support other Republicans running for office.  It is a classic political insider game where large, often outside interests weigh in on Maine elections.  Big pharmaceuticals like Eli Lilly and Merck, gambling interests like Churchill Downs, big tobacco like Altria/Phillip Morris, and Big Energy all have a stake in his political future. These interests have something to gain or lose in Augusta, and so do ordinary voters when Big Cash outweighs our voice.

The sad part is that this is legal in our political system.  The 2010 Supreme Court decision Citizens United made the flow of money into politics by special interests exponentially worse by lifting all limits on spending in elections.  In 2013 the Maine state legislature passed a bi-partisan resolution with both Republicans and Democrats calling for a constitutional amendment to repeal the decision. Michael Thibodeau did not support it.