The chairman of the Androscoggin County Republican Committee has been ousted by his fellow committee members following a controversy over nearly $8,000 in missing cash and the resignation of the committee’s treasurer.
Stavros Mendros, a Republican operative from Lewiston, was removed from the committee Thursday after the committee earlier warned it would do so if he did not voluntarily resign.
Jason Greene of Durham, a member of the panel’s executive committee and Androscoggin at-large member of the Maine Republican Committee, said in an email statement Saturday: “At a well-attended meeting in Poland, the Androscoggin County Republican Committee came together and overwhelmingly chose a new direction. We thank Mr. Mendros for his two years of service, and we look forward to electing a new chairman and treasurer at our January meeting.”
Mendros said Saturday he is glad he is no longer a member of a committee that was trying to cover up financial discrepancies by one of its officers.
“I don’t want to be a member of that committee,” Mendros said.
Calls for Mendros’ resignation were made early this month by other executive committee members over his handling of the missing cash incident and his decision not to immediately inform them about the $8,000 “lost” or misappropriated from the party’s bank account.
Committee members, who learned about the missing funds in late November, called an emergency meeting Dec. 1 with treasurer Mark Ramsay to ask for his resignation and for a repayment of any funds. Ramsay resigned immediately and then restored the funds within one week.
Greene said at the time the committee considered the matter resolved but political tensions over the episode continued to percolate as Mendros pushed for an investigation of the missing funds incident by Androscoggin District Attorney Andrew Robinson. Mendros also accused committee members of attempting to cover up the incident, an allegation disputed by other committee members.
The controversy arose Nov. 20 when Mendros said he learned there was not enough money in the committee’s bank account to cover a $300 withdrawal request. Mendros said legal counsel advised him not to tell anyone else about the insufficient funds until he could meet face-to-face with Ramsay, the only other person with a debit card to the committee’s bank account.
The meeting never took place and Mendros did not inform other committee leaders until Nov. 30.
Greene said Saturday the executive committee learned about the missing funds through a third-party rumor and launched its own investigation.
Mendros did not attend the Dec. 1 emergency meeting, at which executive committee members voted 5-0 to request his resignation over his failure to immediately inform them of the missing funds. Greene said at the time the committee would vote to remove Mendros if he didn’t resign. The vote Thursday required a two-thirds majority of those present.
Mendros said Saturday he stands by his actions.
“In my opinion people needed to know. It is not my money or the executive committee’s money or the Republicans’ money. It is money donated from all around Maine,” said Mendros.
He said the law required him to take the matter to the county district attorney.
Mendros said his removal now unties his hands. He said as a member of the committee he was only able to help other Republicans.
“Now I can help the best-qualified people,” regardless of their party affiliation, Mendros said.
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