Wind Power Zealot Diane Russell Loses Her Bid For Senate Seat Held By Termed Out Justin Alfond

Rep. Ben Chipman defeats Rep. Diane Russell and Dr. Charles Radis in a primary for the District 27 state Senate seat.

Through May 30, Russell had raised more than $89,700, compared to the nearly $13,000 raised by Chipman and the $12,700 raised by Radis. Russell spent heavily in the closing days, shelling out about $17,000 in the final week for direct mailers, palm cards and “persuasion calls and texts,” compared to the nearly $2,800 spent by Chipman.

http://www.pressherald.com/2016/06/14/chipman-has-early-lead-in-por...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Senate Candidate and Former EUT Wind Booster Diane Russell Questions Articles About Her PAC (Portland Phoenix)

I publicly disclosed everything, it's not like there's any new news here," she said.Russell, who said she is running a "traditional" campaign, said she chose to be "above board," noting that none of her donors has complained."I believe in disclosure," she said, adding that the average donation for her Senate campaign is less than $22.
"I'm running a Bernie Sanders type campaign," she said.
The back-to-back articles in the press caused Russell to wonder why public filings would resurface as an issue.
"I do think the timing is suspect," she said.

Read the rest here:

http://portlandphoenix.me/news/item/5518-legislative-scramble-candi...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Se

Former EUT Wind Advocate Diane Russell: Not for Sale

The self-described “progressive champion” of Maine may want to backtrack on her “not for sale” narrative, or at least take steps to get the graphic off the internet altogether.

http://www.themainewire.com/2016/04/sale-period/

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Patricia Callahan on Diane Russell (BDN)

The trail to the original contributors of PAC money can be hard to follow, which is why I also think it’s a non sequitur to suggest that there can be such a thing as “Clean Elections” as long as PACs exist. Further, I don’t understand how someone can be a “Clean Elections” candidate like Russell, or be a politician who supports the idea of getting money out of politics in general, while simultaneously running a leadership PAC.

To me, that’s like saying, “Outside money to get elected is bad, but outside money to maintain a position of power is good.” Tomato, Tom-ah-to.

http://callahan.bangordailynews.com/2016/03/23/home/why-ill-keep-de...

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Former EUT member Diane Russell squashed citizens who brought forth wind bills, fighting for Maine's pristine interior. She never saw a wind turbine she didn't like. Of course they're all banned in her own back yard, Portland! ----- "We want 600' tall turbines in interior Maine, just keep them the hell out of Portland"

Ellsworth American on Diane Russell and Others

March 25, 2016 on Editorials, Opinion

The Maine Legislature should revive and pass legislation that would ban any Political Action Committee from paying legislators and their relatives for activities and purchases on behalf of the PAC. And this time, Governor Paul LePage should sign the legislation into law.

A recent investigation by the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting centered on a PAC established and controlled by Rep. Diane Russell, a Portland Democrat, that paid her almost 20 percent of its total expenditures for “online organizing” and spent less than four percent to support candidates, as such PACs are organized to do.

http://www.ellsworthamerican.com/opinions/editorials/end-leadership...

=================================================================

The Maine Wire: Diane Russell’s Unethical PAC Spending

From the Maine Wire:

Now, a prominent liberal politician from Portland has been caught using her leadership PAC to finance coffee shop meetings, lavish trips across the country and overseas......

http://www.themainewire.com/2016/03/vacations-restaurants-phone-bil...

============================================================

Wish I could roll like Rep. Diane Russell and her PAC (Bangor Daily News)

I’ve got to get me a leadership PAC. Here I’ve been barely able to scrounge up enough gas money to head due east 30 to 40 miles to look at the ocean, and Rep. Diane Russell has been to Morocco, San Francisco, and Las Vegas thanks, in part, to her political action committee. Russell and her “Working Families PAC” were featured recently in an article by Naomi Schalit at the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting, and it’s as much of a must-read (click here) as a leadership PAC is a must-have..............

http://callahan.bangordailynews.com/2016/03/16/home/wish-i-could-ro...

Rep. Diane Russell, D-Portland. (Troy R. Bennett | BDN)

http://callahan.bangordailynews.com/2016/03/16/home/wish-i-could-ro...

================================================================

Did Reed & Reed give then EUT Member Diane Russell's PAC $1,000 in July 2014? (BDN)

Photo Posted by Richard Harris Oct 2015

Diane Russell’s PAC problem
March 17, 2016
By Chris Busby

"......Reed & Reed, which bids on public projects, gave Russell’s PAC $1,000 in July 2014. The high-powered law firm Pierce Atwood, which also does a lot of business in Augusta......."

http://chrisbusby.bangordailynews.com/2016/03/17/politics/diane-rus...

As a member of the EUT Committee, Ms. Russell either didn't understand our testimony or was already committed to opposing us. I seem to recall her invoking a "virtuous argument" more than once.

Naomi Schalit, Ken & Mike discuss Diane Russell on WGAN podcast - listen here (nine minutes long)

The WGAN Morning News with Ken & Mike is a widely listened to morning radio show in the Portland,ME area. On 3/10/16, the daybreak duo interviewed Naomi Schalit with the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting about her report on Rep. Diane Russell paying herself with her PAC money.

Note that a person commenting in the podcast's Disqus comments accuses the impecabbly non-partisan straight shooter Naomi Schalit of being "an anti-wind ideologue funded by oil billionaires from Texas and Oklahoma"!!!

Please listen here:

http://wgan.com/ken-and-mike/31016-podcast-naomi-schalit/

“I took a little bit of payment for myself to make sure we had enough money to build this,” said Russell....

Former EUT member Diane Russell squashed citizens who brought forth wind bills, fighting for Maine's pristine interior. She never saw a wind turbine she didn't like. Of course they're all banned in her own back yard, Portland! ----- "We want 600' tall turbines in interior Maine, just keep them the hell out of Portland"

Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting: Rep Diane Russell (former EUT member) paid self from leadership PAC

“I took a little bit of payment for myself to make sure we had enough money to build this,” said Russell.....Wayne said he could “only think of a couple of examples” of PACs paying legislators “off the top of my head.” Those examples include Russell and former state Sen. John Tuttle, D-Sanford, who lost his bid for re-election to the Maine Senate in 2014, after spending 28 years in the state legislature......However, there is a way that legislators can earn a living by serving in the statehouse: They’re paid to be in the legislature. They make $24,686 for the two-year session they serve. They are also paid $38 per day either for housing or mileage and tolls. Lawmakers also receive $32 per day for meals.

http://www.theforecaster.net/portland-legislator-paid-self-from-lea...

 and

http://www.sunjournal.com/news/maine/2016/03/11/portland-reps-pac-p...

and

http://www.timesrecord.com/news/2016-03-11/Front_Page/Legislator_pa...

and

http://www.journaltribune.com/news/2016-03-10/Front_Page/Portland_l...

and

http://www.ellsworthamerican.com/maine-news/political-news/portland...

 

and

http://pinetreewatchdog.org/portland-legislator-paid-self-from-lead...

As a member of the EUT Committee, Ms. Russell either didn't understand our testimony or was already committed to opposing us. I seem to recall her invoking a "virtuous argument" more than once.

From December 2015:

http://bangordailynews.com/2015/12/16/politics/portland-lawmakers-p...

Fair Use Notice: This website may reproduce or have links to copyrighted material the use of which has not been expressly authorized by the copyright owner. We make such material available, without profit, as part of our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, economic, scientific, and related issues. It is our understanding that this constitutes a "fair use" of any such copyrighted material as provided by law. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes that go beyond "fair use," you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.