AUGUSTA, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- Speaker of the Maine House Mark Eves vows to continue his court fight against Gov. Paul LePage even after a federal judge decided to throw his lawsuit out.
Eves sued the Governor for threatening to withhold state funding from the Goodwill-Hinckley School after the school named Eves as president. School officials then rescinded the job offer.
Eves claims the governor abused his power by blackmailing school officials into taking the job away from him.
A federal judge determined that the governor has discretion when it comes to budgetary issues and is immune from the lawsuit. In the 44-page ruling, federal judge George Singal wrote that even assuming his threats to withhold such funds from Goodwill-Hinckley amounted to an abuse of his discretion, the court finds the governor is entitled to immunity under the law. Eves and his attorney plan to continue pursuing this through the First U.S. Circuit Appeals Court in Boston.
"So the governor is hiding behind immunity and the privilege of his political office. What we want is a day in court. The governor has admitted he did withhold money from Goodwill-Hinckley so that I would get fired. That is not okay…Ultimately the governor needs to be held accountable," said Eves.
Lepage's attorney Patrick Strawbridge released a statement:
"We remain confident that this case is without merit, and we will continue to defend it vigorously should the Speaker decide to appeal."
In his ruling the judge also acknowledged the role politics played in this dispute between the Republican governor and the Democratic Speaker of the House saying political battles are an inevitable and intended part of a government and federal courts serve as poor mechanisms for resolving such disagreements.