PLEASE NOTE: Legislative Information cannot perform research, provide legal advice, or interpret Maine law. For legal assistance, please contact a qualified attorney.
An Act To Require Correction of False Information Distributed in a Campaign
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  21-A MRSA c. 13, sub-c. 6  is enacted to read:
SUBCHAPTER 6
CAMPAIGN INFORMATION
§ 1111. False campaign information
The commission, upon complaint made by a candidate for Governor, State Senate or State House of Representatives, shall investigate an allegation that a person distributed factually incorrect information about that candidate. If the commission determines that a person distributed factually incorrect information about a candidate, the commission shall impose a fine of $10,000 on that person and that person shall distribute a correction of the factually incorrect information in the same manner as the factually incorrect information was distributed.
 
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices, upon complaint made by a candidate for Governor, State Senate or State House of Representatives, to investigate an allegation that a person distributed factually incorrect information about that candidate. If the commission determines that a person distributed factually incorrect information about a candidate, the commission must impose a fine of $10,000 on that person and that person must distribute a correction of the factually incorrect information in the same manner as the factually incorrect information was distributed.