Max Linn, who ran for one of Maine's U.S. Senate seats in 2020, died Saturday at 62.
According to Steven Juskewitch, Linn's Ellsworth-based attorney, Linn had "a cardiac event."
Matt MacDonald, Linn's former campaign manager, confirmed Linn's death to NEWS CENTER Maine, as did Lee Bals, an attorney representing Linn in a civil suit against a company that worked on his campaign.
"Max Linn was an interesting man and we are saddened to hear the news," Bals said.
Linn moved to Bar Harbor about 12 years ago after retiring early from a successful financial planning business in Florida. It was there he first ran for political office, as a Democratic candidate for Congress. Another year, he ran for governor of Florida in the Reform Party.
Many Mainers first heard of Linn in 2018 when he tried to run for U.S. Senate as a Republican, but the Secretary of State ruled a number of Linn’s petition signatures were invalid, and he failed to qualify for the primary ballot.
Although he was a fervent supporter of former Republican President Donald Trump, Linn ran for U.S. Senate as an Independent in 2020 and finished last with about 2% of the vote.
He also made headlines during his 2020 campaign for his performance during a candidate forum hosted by NEWS CENTER Maine. When asked multiple times to answer the first question given to him, Linn retorted, "Request denied."
Linn was among the frenzied crowd of Trump supporters in Washington D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021. In a photo posted to Facebook, Linn is seen raising his fists in the air in the midst of the MAGA-hatted crowd, with a smile from ear to ear. The caption reads, “I had a great time in Washington DC today.”
More recently, Linn was accused of pulling a gun on a campaign staffer. The staffer's request for an order of protection against Linn had been slated for November but was postponed to February.
Court documents alleged Linn pointed a gun at the former staffer in a dispute about a cryptocurrency investment. Linn’s attorney has adamantly denied the allegation and promised to fight it when the court case resumes.