The Maine Turnpike Authority plans to sue its former executive director in an effort to recoup hundreds of thousands of dollars he allegedly spent on himself or on extravagances related to his job.

The authority’s interim director, Peter Mills, said Monday that the turnpike authority expects to take legal action against Paul Violette as early as today. Mills would not say how much money the authority will seek.

Violette’s attorney, Peter DeTroy of Portland, would say only that he expects the lawsuit to seek significantly more than the nearly $200,000 that Violette spent on gift cards for high-end hotels and restaurants in North America and Europe, most of which went undocumented.

The longtime public works director loved Portland and used his folksy charm to work through issues.

PORTLAND – Wayne Syphers had a knack for using hard work to rise to the top. He did it in law enforcement, becoming deputy chief of the Westbrook Police Department, then did it again in an entirely different career, real estate, in which he was recently named Realtor of the Year. Mr. Syphers died Saturday […]