Today, Maine Public called out Governor Paul LePage for lying about Governor Mills' record. In its weekly political pulse newsletter, Maine Public noted that LePage “inaccurately accused Mills of suing his administration over its handling of a nurse who had just returned to the U.S. after treating ebola patients in Africa.”

“That’s false,” Maine Public reported, going on to say, “It’s also unclear who Lepage is suggesting that Mills is forcing to quarantine today. Maine, like most states, has lifted nearly all restrictions imposed earlier in the pandemic.”

LePage’s lies are nothing new. He lied repeatedly while in office, even bragging that he lies to Maine media on purpose. Since announcing his run for governor again, Maine media have begun to call out his detachment from the truth, with the Bangor Daily News going as far as to say, “in a pattern consistent with his time in office, he has not stuck to facts.”

Maine Public also noted that LePage is beginning to make the rounds on conservative radio – a strategy he employed as Governor to avoid media scrutiny because he’s free to lie without being challenged by friendly hosts.

“Paul LePage has shown time and again that there is absolutely no connection between the words that come out of his mouth and reality, and this week is just the beginning--his entire 2022 campaign will be built top to bottom on lies,” said Gaetan Davis, Executive Director of the Maine Democratic Party. “Maine needs serious, honest, and steady leadership – exactly the type of leadership Governor Mills has delivered. We can’t go backwards with LePage.”

Maine Public: Angus King enters the spotlight as Democrats pivot to voting rights

By Steve Mistler and Kevin Miller

December 17, 2021

Key Points:

  • After months of relative quiet, former Gov. Paul LePage has popped up several times recently as he gears up to challenge Mills next year.
  • Two of those “appearances” were on radio talk shows, which raises the question of whether his campaign is reviving the governor’s habit of bypassing traditional news media outlets to get his message out.
  • During the latter part of his eight years as governor, LePage spoke regularly to a select group of friendly radio talk show hosts (in Maine and nationally) while refusing to grant interviews to many of the reporters who covered the State House daily.
  • It’s a gross understatement to say LePage had a rocky relationship with the Maine press, particularly newspapers. Journalists’ access to the governor was usually restricted to infrequent press conferences or brief hallway encounters.
  • But at one point, LePage inaccurately accused Mills of suing his administration over its handling of a nurse who had just returned to the U.S. after treating ebola patients in Africa. The LePage administration tried to force the nurse, Kaci Hickox, to quarantine in her house in Fort Kent, and the dispute generated national headlines for days.
  • “Janet Mills was the attorney general at the time,” LePage told Violette. “She sued me. She won and the courts in Maine have said that you cannot quarantine someone who is not showing the signs of an illness. That’s the decision and she is doing it anyway.”
  • That’s false. In fact, AG Mills’ office represented his administration in court when Maine DHHS attempted to force Hickox to quarantine.
  • But it’s also unclear who LePage is suggesting that Mills is forcing to quarantine today. Maine, like most states, has lifted nearly all restrictions imposed earlier in the pandemic.

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