Otten staffer quits over plagiarism
By Ethan Wilensky-Lanford ewlanford@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer
A staff writer employed by Republican gubernatorial candidate Les Otten has resigned after his campaign admitted it had used plagiarized material.
Gubernatorial candidate Les Otten.
Staff file photo by David Leaming
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The campaign identified the writer as Will Gardiner, an employee of Maine Directions, the Winthrop-based consulting firm managing Otten's campaign.
Otten, on Monday, said Gardiner had worked on his campaign for more than 18 months and was involved in policy development.
"The level of performance of a political candidate is under a microscope that is more powerful than the microscope under which we judge everything else, and rightfully so, so that the performance and actions of those that we elect and run for office, of our politicians, is held to the highest standards," said Otten. "I do not hold myself up to be perfect, but I expect perfection. In this instance, the standard to which I hold the campaign was not met."
Gardiner, in a statement from the campaign, admitted transcribing "personal notes" that included direct passages from legislative testimony by Steve Bowen of the Maine Heritage Policy Center.
These passages were then presented as original campaign material to a Maine political blog, Augusta Insider, in response to a candidate questionnaire about education policy.
Another Maine political blogger, Matthew Gagnon, revealed the similarity between the passages over the weekend.
Otten and Edie Smith, his campaign manager , said they acknowledged the plagiarism Friday evening and called Bowen and Maine Heritage Policy Center to apologize. Campaign officials said they accepted Gardiner's resignation on Sunday morning.
Early Monday, Otten and Smith would neither confirm nor deny that Gardiner resigned from the campaign staff or was still employed by Maine Directions.
At that time, Otten said he did not want to scapegoat anyone and that removal from the campaign was punishment enough.
"He is destroyed. That is enough for me," Otten said at approximately 3:20 p.m. about the then-unnamed employee.
At 3:56 p.m. Monday, the campaign released a statement from Gardiner.
"The controversy over the omission of citing the Maine Heritage Policy Center on some of the latest Otten campaign material has been a distraction to the campaign," Gardiner said.
"The important thing about this is that Les Otten shares the views of the Maine Heritage Policy Center on these issues, and that he took swift action to correct the error and apologize to the Maine Heritage Policy Center," Gardiner's statement said. "I have offered my resignation from the campaign and Les has accepted it. I have offered my resignation from Maine Directions and Edie Smith has accepted it."
Gardiner said he would still support Otten's candidacy for governor; he is listed as contributing $250 to Otten's campaign, according to state campaign finance records.
The political consulting firm that employed Gardiner, Maine Directions, is managed by Smith. It had four employees until Sunday, according to Smith. Campaign finance records indicate Maine Directions has been paid more than $250,000 to run Otten's campaign since July 2009.
Otten's gubernatorial campaign has raised, and spent, the most of any this year. It has reported total receipts of about $1.4 million, some $1.2 million coming from the candidate himself.
Otten, on Monday, also took responsibility for the plagiarism. He approved of the plagiarized materials before they were sent, he said, but did not question their authenticity because they were consistent with his campaign platform.
"There is an element of continuous paraphrasing that takes place in a campaign," he added.
Bowen, whose testimony before the Legislature's Education Committee was copied, wrote a blog post Sunday accusing the Otten campaign of initially making a "less than accurate representation" of its error.
On Monday, however, Bowen said he was satisfied Otten would have attributed the material if he had known it was not written by his campaign.
Others in the Republican primary for Maine governor wasted little time in commenting Monday.
Bruce Poliquin's campaign accused the Otten campaign of also copying the Maine Heritage Policy Center in a section of the candidate's jobs plan that appears on Otten's website.
"Research done by the center comparing health care premiums is copied word for word with no mention of the original author," Poliquin's release stated.
In response, Otten said the section in question was not plagiarism but the result of mutual collaboration.
"If there are similarities, there are similarities because we collaborated, as all candidates are encouraged to collaborate, if they agree, with the Maine Heritage Policy Center," he said. "I'm not going to respond to Poliquin."
An advertisement on Gagnon's website, pinetreepolitics.com, from Sen. Peter Mills included the jab that Mills "wrote his own answers."
Allegations of unsourced imitation or copying of others' material have plagued Otten's campaign since its inception last summer.
The campaign's initial logo and website was chided by observers for closely resembling that of President Barack Obama -- a Democrat -- during his campaign for president. The logo later was changed on the website.
Ethan Wilensky-Lanford -- 620-7016
ewlanford@mainetoday.com
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33 COMMENTS
grumblestilt said...
Unfortunately, this says a great deal about Otten and his standards: He doesn't write his own responses - and he doesn't always hire people with the level of character required at the highest level. It's good that Otten has admitted the transgression, but this is a huge black mark.
May 3, 2010 at 3:21 PM Report abuse
tacodon said...
more snow, less otten.
May 3, 2010 at 3:27 PM Report abuse
Native2Maine said...
He got all the credit for Sunday River yet, many other people are to be credited for its success....He isnt all he says he is cracked up to be, he has always taken credit for work others did
May 3, 2010 at 3:50 PM Report abuse
aloysius said...
I'm not an Otten fan but this is no big deal. The staffer apparently attributed other quotes to Bowen. I think Bowen's ego got the best of him. Otten's record at American Skiing will be what hurts him.
May 3, 2010 at 3:55 PM Report abuse
QmlkZHku said...
Plagiarism? That qualfies him to be VP of the USA. Unless of course you liying moonbats haven't forgotten bidens plagiarism. Whoops, he's a dem, it's expected and ok.
May 3, 2010 at 4:21 PM Report abuse
mutt said...
hahahahahahahahahahahahah u lay down with dogs u get fleas hahahaha
May 3, 2010 at 4:25 PM Report abuse
jimpmwo said...
A great tradition since before the Roman Empire, find a subordinate to fall on their sword for you. It does not look good that he cannot watch this relativly small staff, but wants to watch the entire state.
May 3, 2010 at 4:26 PM Report abuse
francis58 said...
Now here's a question for you Bloggers. Did Will do it or was he a Scapegoat.?
May 3, 2010 at 4:28 PM Report abuse
brightOne said...
rOtten to the core
May 3, 2010 at 4:37 PM Report abuse
XPortlander said...
The liberals plagerize constantly with their new taxes after taxes after taxes after handouts after handouts after handouts...
May 3, 2010 at 4:42 PM Report abuse
Scholar said...
Sacrificial lamb.
May 3, 2010 at 5:01 PM Report abuse
Sam said...
Staffers write first drafts of position papers all of the time. However it indicates a severe lack of intellect, knowledge and interest when the guy who should be in charge knows so little that he does nothing to put the thoughts into his own words before signing off as if he wrote the entire thing. If Otten knew what he was doing he would have never let this get out of his own camp without putting HIS stamp on it. We have now learned that, along a preference for throwing underlings under the bus instead of manning up, Les Otten is incapable of understanding complex position answers, let alone creating any himself.
May 3, 2010 at 5:38 PM Report abuse
NMR said...
I guess if you want to attribute it to Otten then I agree he qualifies as a vice presidential candidtate or at least a US senator oops no I guess you have to drive a girl off a bridge too.
May 3, 2010 at 5:40 PM Report abuse
francis58 said...
I'd be willing to wager this Young man has much to tell and why shoulod he take the Fall for the 'Lester'
May 3, 2010 at 5:44 PM Report abuse
Sam said...
As a college student Biden failed to properly footnote a paper and he received a failing grade for it, but the professor allowed him to retake the course and pass. No professor I have ever met would even consider allowing that if they really suspect willful plagiarism. Later Joe Biden quoted someone repeatedly in his speeches and gave full credit 99.9% of the time. Then he forgot to do so in a live speech until someone pointed it out. He put out a news release to correct his error. That is clearly NOT even in the same league as this. Biden was a bit sloppy as a college student and got caught in the moment during a live speech and temporarily forgot to attribute a quote.
May 3, 2010 at 5:49 PM Report abuse
Dee said...
What happened to "the buck stops here?" Just fire someone and everything will be okay, right, Otten?
May 3, 2010 at 6:12 PM Report abuse
tacodon said...
Otten should drop out. End of story.
May 3, 2010 at 6:31 PM Report abuse
BillyFiske said...
If Otten supports Maine Heritage as the article says why did he give $2,000 to Chellie Pingree last election and has supported Mike Michaud and Joe Biden. No principles? Looking for something for his money and would continue that give and take when he is on the other end? How about getting some principles Les and sticking with them or are you going to wheel and deal with whoever donated?
May 3, 2010 at 6:55 PM Report abuse
JulieP said...
Strange how when Les Otten saved Fenway Park he did it himself. But when he plagiarizes - it was the hired help's fault.
May 3, 2010 at 7:19 PM Report abuse
seward said...
Well Sam, the Biden plagiarism must of been somewhat of an issue since it was his own party that rejected him back in 1988. I'm sure Democrats would not play politics with one of their own.
May 3, 2010 at 7:22 PM Report abuse
MaineHiker said...
Who's next?
May 3, 2010 at 8:57 PM Report abuse
David said...
Hopefully Libby Mitchell. Not an original thought in her life, and the ones she borrows stink.
May 3, 2010 at 9:22 PM Report abuse
HM2 said...
Mr. Otten does not have as clean and beautiful a business past as he would have you believe. His so called successes in the skiing industry have left many bones on the slopes. Many investors were taken for a ride and not on skis.
May 3, 2010 at 9:52 PM Report abuse
Spooky said...
What politician writes their own responses? I can't think of any. They say they do, but we all know staffers do it... hello, that's what they're there for. I agree, his record with ASC will hurt him; but most everyone in the business during his tenure was hurt.
May 4, 2010 at 8:28 AM Report abuse
paperbackwri said...
Well, I guess, his employees only reflect the level of dishonesty that he himself has displayed.
May 4, 2010 at 8:30 AM Report abuse
BornHere said...
Les is less.
May 4, 2010 at 8:48 AM Report abuse
francis58 said...
I understand that Will gardner will be on WGAN 56 AM on Friday morning to reveal his side of this Story. Also all should visit the Ethic's Commssion web site look at the money Otten payed some of his Staffers. These folks are Real estate Salespeople and as Usual Les has to Buy his Friends
May 4, 2010 at 9:13 AM Report abuse
mainecomrade said...
It's funny how this is headline news for two days and made out to be the bad judgement of Otten himself. Yet when John Richardsons staffer made a bad ethical decision it wasn't Richardsons fault at all.
May 4, 2010 at 10:27 AM Report abuse
hallowellboy said...
Otten needs to be forgotten. Another lying Republican.
May 4, 2010 at 12:33 PM Report abuse
goodone said...
Refreshing to see a politician accept some responsibility. Plagiarism is a form of flattery, albeit in this politically correct world we are forced to live in, there’s always someone who gets their feelings hurt and cries foul. I think Steve Bowen of the Maine Heritage Policy Center should thank Mr. Otten for using his ideas and for getting his message out.
May 4, 2010 at 1:05 PM Report abuse
oldgrump said...
"He is destroyed. That is enough for me," Otten said at approximately 3:20 p.m. about the then-unnamed employee *********** Am I the only one that seems to think this is a strange (ominous) statement from a potential candidate? Could this infer: "you make a mistake and I want to see you destroyed"?
May 4, 2010 at 2:59 PM Report abuse
Muskrat said...
Otten is a snake oil salesman.
May 4, 2010 at 5:24 PM Report abuse
papa2 said...
Really now did you expect Les to be honest and be man enough to take the blame? After all he is a republican.
May 4, 2010 at 7:30 PM Report abuse