Berwick Select Board Promised a Working Recording. Nearly 11 Months Later, Where Is It?
A defective public record, an on-camera promise to provide a working copy, and nearly 11 months of waiting. The documented timeline raises questions about transparency, public access, and follow-through in Berwick.
Thomas Lavigne, Maine Representative, Says He Ignored Hundreds of Constituent Emails After Relying on Misattributed Facebook Post
Maine State Representative Thomas Lavigne acknowledged receiving hundreds of emails involving Ryan Michaels without responding to a single one—and identified a Facebook post as the “single reason” for his silence. But when an August 10, 2026 Freedom of Access Act request brought the underlying screenshot to light, the record revealed a critical discrepancy: key allegations Lavigne attributed to Michaels were actually written by someone else. The exchange raises important questions about constituent access, verification of social-media claims, public records, and accountability in Maine government.
Internal DHHS Emails Reveal Sharp Divide Over Maine Child Protective Services Emergency Unit Restructuring
Internal emails obtained through Maine’s Freedom of Access Act reveal sharply different perspectives on the restructuring of OCFS Children’s Emergency Services. A frontline caseworker warned legislators that the changes could impact child safety, while DHHS leadership defended the decision as a data-informed effort to improve coordination. The Maine Mirror has filed additional FOAA requests seeking the records cited by department leadership.
The Price of Transparency: How Maine DHHS Turned Public Records into a Paywall
A Maine citizen’s Freedom of Access Act requests began with a promise of $0 and a four-week turnaround, only to grow into invoices totaling $450 and $50,875, months of delays, and ultimately no records produced. This investigative report examines the timeline, escalating costs, procedural hurdles, and broader questions surrounding transparency, public records, and accountability within the Maine Department of Health and Human Services.