Maine Democratic speaker accuses GOP governor of blackmail

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — The Democratic speaker of the state House of Representatives accused Republican Gov. Paul LePage on Wednesday of blackmailing a charter school by threatening to withhold state funding from it to get him fired from a job there.

Rep. Mark Eves said LePage told school operator Good Will-Hinckley it had to remove Eves as president or lose $500,000 in state funds, resulting in a loss of an additional $2 million in private funds.

Earlier this month, LePage urged school officials not to hire Eves because he frequently opposed public charter schools in the Legislature.

"On behalf of all who have worked so hard to ensure that every Maine student has access to an education that is best suited to their individual needs, I must question your boards' decision to appoint a person so adamantly opposed to charter schools as president of the organization that runs one of Maine's most prominent charter schools," LePage said in a letter to the boards of the school and its operator.