Breaking: Laurel Libby Censured by Legislature

Chapter Two of Augusta Confidential, plus more media bosses quit and lucky subscriber will win eggs, bacon and books.

Augusta Confidential

Another Capitol Week of Chaos & Clumsy Clownery

by Reese Calloway, lawmaker

Laurel Libby refuses to say she’s sorry. That means, until she issues a public apology for her reprehensible behavior, the Auburn lawmaker won’t be allowed to vote on legislation or fulfill the rest of her duties.

You can always count on Maine Republicans to create controversy where none needs to exist. Stirring the pot provides the GOPers with a false sense of power and intelligence. And this week, no one embodied that better than Rep. Laurel Libby, as the Auburn state representative took center stage in a farce both predictable and absurd.

This evening, my colleagues in the Maine Legislature voted in favor, 75 to 70, to censure Libby for her garbage behavior in doxxing a teenage pole vaulter. You can see the roll call vote and read the order below.

Before further discussing Libby and her dragging the state of Maine into the national spotlight, let’s check in on some hair-brained schemes brewing in the State House. Unfortunately, Augusta’s corridors have become a playground for ideas so ludicrous you’d think some lawmakers were smacked on the wrong end at birth.

On The Radar:

While Libby scrambles for attention, her party collects indictments like trophies. For instance, Lucas Lanigan, the state rep from Sanford who won in 2024 by ONE vote, still has a domestic violence arrest case pending. (Here’s the police affidavit that alleges Lanigan’s wife caught him in a storage unit, possibly having sex with his girlfriend and the subsequent alleged choking by Lanigan of his wife.)

Plus, State Rep. Randy Hall’s charges are piling up in connection to allegedly forging signatures for his Clean Elections campaign for a second term representing Wilton and other western Maine communities. And just today, Hall, a longtime farmer, was removed by from the “Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry” because of his alleged wrong-doings.

The irony is brutal: those screaming law and order the loudest are the ones getting arrested.

Meanwhile, the Legislature tackles a supplemental budget and Republicans cry, moan and wail about “out-of-control spending” even as they push corporate tax cuts for the super-rich that hollow out revenue streams that fund programs for society’s most vulnerable. Equally weird is Rep. Josh Morris (R-Turner) leading a charge to scrap Maine’s blue laws — with Rep. Libby alongside, cheering on a policy change that defies basic economics and Christianity. And then there’s failed lobsterman Billy Bob targeting Whole Foods — once again — with a stunt to ban state contracts for companies that won’t sell Maine lobster.

Per usual, lousy political theater, not policy.

Also, Republicans are busy peddling voter ID laws for November, feeding the myth of rampant fraud in Maine, which has one of the nation’s most secure voting systems. Clearly, this isn’t about protecting elections. Instead, it’s a coordinated and thinly veiled attack on the elderly, students and working-class Mainers. No surprise, then, that Libby is also promoting this fear-mongering, which is just another GOP maneuver designed to restrict voting rights because they know they’ll always lose elections unless they can suppress the vote.

Once again, like a broken record, the GOP is pushing “right-to-work” legislation. Their goal is simple: gut unions while slashing wages and stripping workers of bargaining power. The public hearing was a knockout, with no speakers in support, and lots of actual workers speaking in opposition. Which means that very few in Maine want this underhanded assault on labor rights. Yet the tone-deaf Republicans continue their anti-labor battle on behalf of their corporate overlords and oligarchical donors.

Rep. Ann Fredricks, (R-Sanford), btw, wants to eliminate vehicle inspections. That’s another MAGA move, dripping with motor oil and hypocrisy. In 2023, Mainers championed the right to repair, yet with Fredricks’ proposal, vehicular safety standards could get sacrificed in a flash. Removing inspections is reckless as Trump allowing Elon Musk to be co-president. In other words, a fast track to disaster.

Speaking of disasters, in a throwback to the 1970s, Maine Republicans are trying to revive nuclear energy. Rep. Reagan Paul (R-Winterport) and Senate Republican Leader Trey Stewart are pushing risky and outdated policies while ensuring renewable progress gets trampled under Big Power’s Big Feet. New nukes, btw, are a pet proposal put forth by the ultra-fascist Heritage Foundation as a distraction designed to waste taxpayer dollars and derail sensible energy solutions.

Laurel Libby: Maine’s Right-Wing Media Darling

Libby’s latest sideshow act was pure manufactured outrage. As I described in Chapter 1 of Augusta Confidential, Libby took to the socials to publicly attack the pole-vaulting victory by a local trans-teenage athlete from outside her own district. Which proved, once again, that nothing generates more clicks and fundraising dollars than anti-LGBTQ hysteria. After her GOP leadership team took down her transphobic re-post from the Maine House Republicans' Facebook page, Libby doubled down with interviews across national right-wing media. During which, instead of taking a moment for self-reflection, she chose the time-honored conservative tactic: play the victim, cry “free speech” and ride the wave of attention from bigots.

Libby, however, is a laughingstock under the dome in Augusta where she’s viewed as a performative extremist who has accomplished absolutely nothing of substance. As a prior member of the Taxation and now the Labor Committee, she has demonstrated zero understanding of the policies before her. Instead, she uses her position at every opportunity to grandstand with conspiracy theories, disinformation and other far-right bullshit.

Also, her sponsored pieces of legislation are either profoundly unserious or outright embarrassing. Her proposed bills are time-wasters based on fringe ideology and dead-end schemes rather than accomplishing actual gains for Mainers. Her LD 443, for instance, is a bizarre tax carve-out for gold and silver bullion, submitted to please her prepper fanbase who are heavily invested in precious metals. Or consider LD 450, Libby’s attempt to dismantle Maine’s net energy billing laws in order to benefit corporate utilities at the expense of ratepayers. No wonder she is widely ignored in the State House, even by her own party.

To be blunt: normal Republicans want nothing to do with her. Twice now, Libby has humiliated herself by running – and losing – her bids for legislative leadership. Whether it is a first-round rejection or a major loss to the dimwitted Billy Bob Faulkingham, the woman can’t seem to take the hint. When the Maine GOP, who tolerate a lot of wackiness, won’t trust you with power, it’s time to re-think the vision board and bucket list.

Obviously, Libby is a social media personality, not a lawmaker. And that’s using the term ‘personality’ very loosely. A more apt description would be “digital creator” or “content generator.” Libby has demonstrated beyond the pale that she’s more interested in stoking outrage (and begging for donations, likes, shares and clicks) than actually legislating. At the end of every legislative day, it becomes more obvious that she’s just a loud and useless backbencher whose only real accomplishment is embarrassing herself and her party. In sum: Libby has no influence, no results and no respect in the building.

She does have lots of knuckle-dragging homophobes as fans, though, forever hypnotized by her Stepford eyes and Trumpian talking points.

Faith, Family and Freedom is for Straight, White Christians Only.

Her political brand is built on “faith, family, and freedom,” but her latest crusade against Maine’s transgender community reveals that these values are nothing more than a shallow marketing ploy. Her blatant doxxing of a minor, plus her disregard for the safety of students, families and the LGBTQ+ community is completely void of any morals. Instead of focusing on policies that help everyday Mainers, she’s using the oldest tricks torn from a well worn page in the far-right playbook: Demonize the marginalized to rally outrage and rake in the cash.

Click the image above to enter Laurel Libby’s world of grift.

Case in point, Libby’s most successful political action committee, “Dinner Table Action,” (1 of 3 PACs she runs) also claims to stand for Christian faith, strong families, and individual freedom. Sounds nice, right? Except when it comes to transgender Mainers and their families, those values suddenly vanish faster than a MAGA hat at a fact-checking convention. Also, like Jesus, Libby is fond of raffling guns to raise funds to further her message.

The Sig Sauer P320 raffled by Libby is the subject of many lawsuits, including one by a Somerset County detective, with multiple litigants claiming the weapon fires without the trigger being touched.

The Christian faith preaches love, acceptance and care for the vulnerable. Libby’s version of faith, however, is more about wielding a Bible as a political cudgel while ignoring the “love thy neighbor” part. If she practiced what she preaches, Libby would advocate for kindness and inclusion, instead of leading a horde of weird white males in a smear campaign against trans kids. Libby’s Dinner Table also claims it wants families to “flourish,” but as PAC boss, she has no problem attacking parents who support their transgender children. For Libby, only certain families get to flourish, the ones in alignment with her rigid and rancid worldview.

As for “Freedom,” that’s Libby’s most laughable “belief.” Libby claims to fight for “individual liberty,” yet she is eagerer to dictate who gets to play which sports, personal pronouns and what medical care citizens can receive. Sounds less like freedom and more like government overreach with a side of Puritan moral panic.

Hypocrisy, Served with a Side of Trumpism

Libby chooses political theatrics over genuine leadership any and every day. Her performance is less about principles and more about pandering for political cash. Case in point, how Libby worships at the altar of Trumpism, backing his every move as if he’s the Second Coming of Christ. Once again, though, her contradictions pile up. Trump, the supposed champion of “protecting women’s sports,” has a long history of degrading, harassing and raping women.

If Libby cared about “protecting” females, she might start by condemning the guy who bragged about sexual assault, not by targeting a high school pole vaulter. Between the fearmongering, self-righteous grandstanding and endless fundraising emails, it’s hard to pinpoint how Libby’s politics actually improves life in Maine. With her Trump-supporting, she’s clearly fine with advocating for the loss of federal monies for the Pine Tree State.

What about Maine’s housing crisis? Silent. Healthcare access? Crickets. Economic opportunity? Only if you count her ability to turn artificial outrage into dollars and bitcoin.

Libby’s entire schtick is about using bigoted Mainers as pawns in a culture war intended to boost her profile and fundraising totals. Libby is nothing but a scripted and dressed-up mouthpiece and microphone for Christian Nationalists. Since she knows nothing about government, policy or original thought, rumors of a possible gubernatorial or Congressional run are hilarious. Libby simply cannot function outside of her own media echo chambers. In any unscripted debate on actual policy, she'd crash and burn faster than Kanye West's ill-fated presidential campaign.

Until then, her supporters should ask themselves: Is she really working for them? Or is she just using their hard earned cash to fund her next fetish attack campaign?

Editor’s note: State Legislator Reese Calloway (not their real name) lives, writes and works in Maine.

Executive exodus from the sinking ship of Maine Legacy Media continues.

Also, Crash Report paid subscriber to win eggs, bacon and books.

by Crash Barry

The top two bosses of the Lewiston Sun-Journal have quit in the last week. First, it was publisher Jody Jalbert who departed the newspaper last week after a 37-year career. And yesterday it was announced that executive editor Judy Meyer’s last day would be Friday, putting an end to her 35-year career at the long-struggling newspaper. While newsroom insiders are acting like the departures are a big deal, it shouldn’t be a surprise. Both executives were, in the modern parlance, redundant and duplicative, thanks to the Sun-Journal actually being owned-and-operated by an out-of-state non-profit.

The story that ran in newspapers across Maine neglected to mention what’s up next for the now-former news boss.

As I explained in Maine Media is a Mess, the Sun-Journal is part of the five daily paper consortium (and many weeklies) currently being run into the ground by the “National Trust For Local News.” The Englewood, Colorado non-profit bought almost all Maine’s daily and weekly newspapers in 2023 from the eccentric Reade Brower, a direct mail marketer turned media titan. In late January, the non-profit’s CEO Elizabeth Hansen-Shapiro suddenly resigned just four years after founding the NTLN and a year-and-a-half after taking over the Maine media chain.

Hansen-Shapiro, and her five-person executive team, were making lots of money, especially compared to the rank-and-file trench workers. According to the IRS 990 form filed by NTLN, in 2023, their total pay and benefits for six bosses amounted to about $1,090,853. To put that in perspective, the average reporter salary at the Portland Press Herald is around $50,000 and less at the other papers. Meaning the earnings of the non-profit’s six person exec team could pay for about 22 reporters.

It’s not just NTLN’s Maine papers struggling. Last month, two of the non-profit’s papers in Colorado were also shut down.

The departures locally, according to reportorial scuttlebutt, aren’t anywhere near being done. Rumors of more layoffs, early retirements and resignations hover over various newsrooms in the NTLN chain as the budget cutters look for savings. And that’s despite the non-profit having over $20 million in the bank, according to the 2023 IRS 990.

It’s not only the non-profit media outlets struggling. The Bangor Daily News —long owned by the Towle-Warren families, continues to lay off staff for cost-cutting reasons. In early February, the BDN fired Troy Bennett, the multi-media journalist who covered Portland and surrounds for the BDN for 13 years. That was a totally shortsighted move since Bennett is a triple threat of a reporter: good at photography, video and writing. And, in a sense, his dismissal means the BDN is abandoning coverage of southern Maine.

Then just this last week, Emily Burnham, who served as the BDN’s culture and arts reporter for over 20 years, announced she was leaving the newspaper for a meaningful job in the real world. In March, Burnham begins her new gig as communications coordinator for Maine Women’s Lobby, "a direct legislative advocacy" group.

The departures of Burnham and Bennett (and others) is bad news for BDN suscribers since both of ‘em were good reporters. More importantly, their absence in the newsroom means more institutional memory and local knowledge will be going by the wayside. This doesn't bode well for the rest of the BDN's staff, that's for sure.

I’ve said it many times, but it’s gotta suck to be working for Legacy News outlets these days. Without any major pivots in sight, journalists are basically sitting under the dangling“Pen of Damocles.” Still employed and forced to churn out copy and scoops, not knowing when the single horsehair strand holding their career gets cut. Then, suddenly out-on-the-street, they end up, pen in ink-stained hand, searching for work in an almost dead industry.

That’s why it’s important for you to become a paid subscriber to indie media like The Crash Report. Even in these dark days, we’re growing and offering more news and opinion from our expanded crew of contributors. If you appreciate how we report on stories the rest of the media ignores, please become a paid subscriber. Sign up now and lock in at six bucks monthly or sixty dollars annually to avoid the March 17 rate increase, which is when the paywall goes up.

Also, if you eat eggs (and live in Maine) you’ll want become a paid subscriber by noon Saturday, March 1 to be entered to win a “Crash Report Breakfast Pack.” That pack includes a dozen eggs from our free-range hens and a pound of limited-edition farmstead bacon, plus signed copies of my books Tough Island and Sex, Drugs and Blueberries. THIS CONTEST IS ONLY FOR PAID SUBSCRIBERS. Thanks for supporting local independent journalism that goes where others won’t.