BUXTON – Jim Libby, who last month narrowly lost a bid to represent House District 131, has asked to meet with the Maine Ethics Commission about a campaign mailing issue involving his opponent, state Rep. Robert Hunt, D-Buxton.

Libby, a Republican, said Tuesday that the commission allowed Hunt to mail campaign literature listing the treasurer as John Myers after Myers had resigned from that post. Myers is town clerk and deputy registrar of voters in Buxton. The Maine Ethics Commission oversees campaign finance laws and the Maine Clean Election Act.

“My problem is with the ethics commission for allowing him to do the mailing,” Libby said. “I was upset the mailing went out.”

But, Jonathan Wayne, executive director of the ethics commission, said Tuesday a commission staff member had advised Hunt that he could continue to use the literature because it was purchased when Myers was treasurer.

At issue is a new law that became effective July 12 that prohibits a town deputy registrar from serving as a treasurer for a candidate. Myers, who has been town clerk in Buxton since 1986, said he resigned from the Hunt campaign after he learned of the law on Sept. 22.

Hunt didn’t respond to e-mail and telephone messages seeking comment.

Last month, Hunt was re-elected to represent House District 131, part of Buxton and Hollis. He defeated challenger Libby, 2,093-2,057. Hunt also prevailed in a recount, 2,131-2,073, and Libby has conceded the race.

Julie Flynn, deputy secretary of state, said her office, which is separate from the ethics commission, is not conducting any investigations regarding any part of the legislative election process in Buxton. The elections division of the Secretary of State’s Office supervises election law and procedures for all federal, state and county offices. It conducted the recount for House District 131.

“It’s all done as far as we’re concerned,” Flynn said.

Flynn said Wednesday that town clerks were notified in a statewide packet mailing of about 20 pages in late July about changes in the law. Flynn said she also reviewed those law changes in September in a training session in Bangor, which Myers attended. She said Myers then spoke with her during a recess about his being treasurer for Hunt.

“I said you need to resign,” Flynn recalled telling Myers.

Libby also has raised concerns about Myers as deputy registrar of voters verifying four signatures of Buxton voters and their contributions of $5 on April 15 on a petition for Hunt’s candidacy. The signatures and contributions were part of a requirement to help Hunt qualify for public funding from the state to finance the campaign under the Maine Clean Elections Act. Wayne said Hunt received $4,500 from the state.

Myers said he had served as a campaign treasurer since 1994 and no one had questioned it.

“When I’m here (Buxton Town Hall), I’m town clerk and not treasurer for any candidate,” Myers said.

The town clerk’s position is an elected one in Buxton. Myers said he was unaware that he was in violation of the new law until the training session in September.

Republican Don Marean, a Hollis selectman who lost his legislative seat to Hunt two years ago, said he has “highest regard” for Myers. “I think it was an honest mistake,” Marean said.

According to a statement this week, Libby had filed a previous complaint against the Hunt campaign with the ethics commission alleging that the Hunt campaign had not listed a website expediture. But then Libby dropped the complaint after receiving a letter from Wayne that the commission would likely view it as an oversight.

Libby said in his statement that a “follow-up letter to the commission requesting time to address the commission board has not received a response from the commission’s executive director despite being received over a week ago.”

But, Wayne said Tuesday he hadn’t had an opportunity to contact Libby because of the Thanksgiving holiday.