Senator Collins relied on Trump campaign staff to get on the ballot. Why won’t she say whether she voted for him?
As the oldest state in the nation, roughly half of Maine’s population is considered “high risk” for developing serious illness from the coronavirus. But as of this weekend, Maine had only received 5% of the masks that it requested from the federal government. It’s clear that the Trump administration is failing to provide the federal support Maine needs to weather the coronavirus crisis. But Senator Susan Collins has remained silent in the face of Trump’s chaotic response that has put Mainers at risk.
This is far from the first time Senator Collins has stayed silent when it comes to Trump. For months, she has refused to say whether she is supporting his reelection, but an investigation into her ballot access petitions reveals that her campaign and the Trump campaign are deeply intertwined.
Six Trump Victory staff members collected signatures to get Senator Collins on the ballot. In addition, Collins relied on signature gathering from the National Republican Senatorial Committee and her own official Senate staff. Without the support of national Republicans, including Trump Victory, and her own taxpayer -funded Senate staff, Collins would not have qualified for the ballot.
“It’s clear that Senator Collins is too reliant on Donald Trump and the national Republican infrastructure that he provides to be truly independent,” said Maine Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Marra. “As Mainers contend with the ongoing coronavirus crisis, they deserve to know where Senator Collins stands. It’s time for her to come clean about her support for Trump.”
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