AUGUSTA
A U.S. Labor Department lawyer is in Maine to interview state unemployment hearing officers about allegations Gov. Paul LePage pressured them to decide more cases in favor of business.
A spokeswoman for the Maine labor department says the lawyer plans to conduct interviews this week with about a dozen people who attended a March 21 meeting at the governor’s residence.
Some at the meeting say LePage pressured officers who adjudicate unemployment benefit appeals to be more probusiness. One described it as a “group scolding.”
LePage said the “cordial” meeting was to ensure officers follow “the letter of the law.”
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