BANGOR, Maine — Voters on all sides have questions about how being convicted of several felonies would impact former President Donald Trump's eligibility to run for presidency, and many are confused about how he could potentially hold office again as a convicted felon.
The controversy has been a gateway, shedding light on how hard it is for regular people who have felonies to find jobs.
NEWS CENTER Maine viewer Gabriel Makonnen is one of many who have concerns.
"I'd like to find out how President Trump can still run for president when most people who have felonies on their record can't even get a government job," Makonnen said in a voicemail that he left for NEWS CENTER Maine.
Despite being found guilty of multiple felonies, Trump can still legally hold office and secure a government role as president.
The communications director for the Maine secretary of state's office Emily Cook said in an email, "For elected office, criminal convictions are generally not a legal impediment to running for or holding office. There are some exceptions, however. For example, candidates for county sheriff in Maine cannot have been convicted of a class C or higher crime."
But for everyday people, Cook said having a felony often stands in the way of someone being able to get a job and earn a decent wage.
Nonprofits like Fresh Start in Bangor help people with past criminal histories and who are recovering from some form of addiction get reacclimated to society.
"Snapshot in time, as of this morning, there were 67 people, men and women, that are felons that live at Fresh Start houses," Pardy said. "Of those, 29 are unemployed."
Pardy said employers who run background checks often can't see details about the crime a potential candidate committed. For convicted felon James McBride, he said it was bad judgment of drunk driving and a terrible accident that landed him in prison for four years.
"I was charged for manslaughter. I lost my best friend because of it," McBride said. "That right there, I didn't want to ever pick up a drink again after that."
McBride said he also injured two other people in the accident and terribly regrets his actions.
"I hope one day the family can forgive me," he said.
Fresh Start gave McBride a second chance, and now he is a Fresh Start house manager, helping other participants and understanding their struggles to find work.
"Once they say they're a felon, they say the employers always roll their eyes," McBride said.
McBride offered some advice for what to say that might make a potential employer say yes.
"I let them know just be honest. Tell them what the reason was for. You know, you're a new person," McBride said. "Just give me a chance and I can prove to you that I'm worth the risk."
In 2021, the Maine Legislature passed LD 1167, which is a bill that provides equal employment rights for people who have a criminal history and prohibits an employer from requesting criminal history record information on an initial employee application form.