Maine candidate pleads not guilty
AUGUSTA, Maine—A candidate for the Maine Legislature has pleaded not guilty to falsifying documents to show that he qualified for public campaign funding.
House of Representatives Republican primary candidate Michael Hein (hine) is charged with attempted theft by deception.
The Kennebec Journal reports that Hein did not appear in court Wednesday, but his attorney entered the plea on his behalf and requested a jury trial.
The 42-year-old Hein is accused of using his own money to meet a small-donation threshold that would have allowed him to receive about $1,400 in Clean Elections money for his primary campaign, and pending victory, another $3,900 for the general election.
A Maine Ethics Commission investigation found that Hein falsified forms signifying that donors had given him $5.
The primary is next week.
------
Information from: Kennebec Journal, http://www.kjonline.com/
