With fewer than 100 days left until Maine’s gubernatorial election, Paul LePage continues to demonstrate that he has a loose relationship with facts. While appearing on conservative radio last week, LePage made several false statements that show either: 1) LePage doesn’t have a basic grip on facts that are important to governing; or 2) he’s simply lying in order to mislead people and help his campaign—a tactic that Republicans across Maine are adopting.
Here’s a look at some of LePage’s false claims:
He claimed that Governor Mills and Democrats in the Legislature are “decriminalizing fentanyl” and that “distribution of fentanyl is becoming a misdemeanor.”
This is false. Distribution of fentanyl is a felony.
LePage also falsely claimed that Maine’s unemployment rate is nearly a full percentage point higher than it actually is:
“You have the state of New Hampshire with unemployment in the low twos, Maine in the high threes.” In fact, Maine's unemployment rate is 3.0%.
LePage also demonstrated a lack of understanding about how electric vehicles worked, claiming that solar energy development can’t help charge electric cars because “if you use your car during the day, and you want to charge it at night, there's no sun.”
“Whether he’s intentionally lying or just has no idea what the facts actually are, it’s clear that Paul LePage is still the same person who doesn’t care about telling the truth,,” said Misha Linnehan, spokesperson for the Maine Democratic Party. “In Governor Mills, Maine people have a leader who is focused on facts, truth, and solving real world problems. We can’t afford to go back to a time when Maine is governed by someone who purposefully ignores the truth.”