GORHAM – Fingers are being pointed in Gorham, and the state ethics commission is about to weigh in on complaints involving political signs in town.

Elected last week to the Gorham School Committee, outgoing Town Councilor Suzanne Phillips filed a complaint Nov. 1 with the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices about the legality of some signs that popped up in town during the campaign.

At issue are the printed signs that read: “No Phillips – arrested for OUI, convicted of OUI, No Phillips.” An image on the signs depicted shackled hands.

In her written complaint on Nov. 1 to Emma Burke of the ethics commission staff, Phillips said, “The signs are improperly marked per Maine election laws…”

Phillips pleaded guilty two years ago to operating under the influence, but was not expelled from the Town Council. She opted to not seek re-election to the council in the municipal election.

The disclosure on the signs read, “Paid for by keep our kids safe from drunk drivers.”

Phillips wanted to know the names of those responsible for the signs.

On Wednesday, Town Councilor Matt Robinson, speaking for the group, which took responsibility for the signs last week, said they plan to file their own complaint this week that its signs were illegally removed. Robinson said the group, which has about seven members, believes it had First Amendment rights to post the signs.

Jonathan Wayne, executive director of the state ethics commission, said last week that Phillips’ complaint is under review. The ethics commission will decide whether the signs met requirements.

Wayne said in a letter on Nov. 10 to Robinson that the commission would discuss whether the signs contained “the name and address of the person who financed the communication, and a statement that the communication was -– or was not – authorized by any school board candidate.”

According to Wayne’s letter, a penalty of $200 could be assessed for signs lacking required information.

Phillips’ complaint is expected to be heard by the ethics commission at 9 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 24, at 45 Memorial Circle in Augusta.

Phillips said in her letter to the ethics commission that she had witnesses who saw Robinson putting up the signs.

Wayne’s Nov. 10 letter also said, “In speaking to Suzanne Phillips and other members of the Gorham public concerning the signs, the commission may receive some suggestions at the Nov. 24 meeting that you were primarily responsible for the signs and that the statement, ‘paid for by keeping our kids safe from drunk drivers,’ was intended to conceal your responsibility for the signs.”

Robinson on Wednesday said he couldn’t comment on that letter because he hadn’t received it, and he planned to call Wayne.

Robinson said Keep Our Kids Safe is a local group of parents and said he’s part of it. Robinson said the signs did not reference the election or any board. He said the group decided to put up signs.

“We thought they (signs) are First Amendment rights,” Robinson said on Wednesday.

Robinson has been outspoken about drunk-driving offenses by Gorham town councilors. When first contacted about the signs by the American Journal on Nov. 5, he responded, “Those signs are legal,” and added, “Everything on the signs was truthful.”

Wayne sent a letter dated Nov. 5 to Robinson that he was conducting a preliminary investigation concerning the signs and stakes in an effort to determine who paid for them and what were costs. On Nov. 7, Robinson and Keep Our Kids Safe filed an expenditure report of $138.

The ethics commission staff, claiming the report was due on Oct. 24, notified Robinson that he was being fined $19.46 for the late filing.

Meanwhile, Robinson charged Wednesday that someone took down signs, and he has a written letter verifying that someone “pulled down” signs. He declined to go on record identifying any individual.

Robinson said he and the group intended this week to file a complaint with the ethics commission about the removal of signs. Wayne said on Wednesday morning that he hadn’t received Robinson’s complaint.

Gorham resident Jim Means said last week he had complained to the town about the signs.

“I’m very disappointed in the town of Gorham for allowing illegal signs to be posted,” Means said.

Weighing in this week, Means claimed the signs didn’t have the proper disclosure and said he searched but couldn’t find a political action committee named Keeping Our Kids Safe.

Means said he plans to address the Town Council on Nov. 18 about the matter.

According to rules about political signs that Gorham Town Clerk Jennifer Elliott distributed to candidates, signs are required to be “affixed to their own stake or post.” Elliott said last week that she has five of the OUI signs that did not meet that criteria, and she authorized Gorham Public Works Department to remove them.

Gorham’s Suzanne Phillips has filed an ethics complaint with the state about the legality of this sign, one of a number posted along some Gorham roads before the Nov. 4 election.