House Order, To Require an Investigation by the House Ethics Committee

WHEREAS,  each elected member of the Maine House of Representatives has signed the Legislative Code of Ethics; and

WHEREAS,  Representative Ryan Tipping of Orono served on the Joint Standing Committee on Education and Cultural Affairs from January 2015 to November 2016; and

WHEREAS,  while seeking reelection, Representative Tipping was paid at least $9,000 beginning in May of 2016 by the Citizens Who Support Maine Public Schools, a political action committee, referred to in this order as "PAC," that received funds from the Maine Education Association and National Education Association, over a period of 6 months to advocate for and actively campaign in support of the imposition of a significant tax increase on the Maine people and small businesses that would provide additional funding for public education; and

WHEREAS,  Representative Tipping failed to report his PAC income by August 7, 2016 as required by law; and

WHEREAS,  Representative Tipping's failure to disclose this PAC income as required by law may constitute a willful violation of state law and legislative ethics; and

WHEREAS,  questions concerning Representative Tipping's conduct threaten to cast a shadow over all of the work of the 128th Maine Legislature; and

WHEREAS,  the integrity of the Maine House of Representatives is being called into question by the very people we represent; and

WHEREAS,  the House Ethics Committee exists for the purpose of investigating potential violations of the Legislative Code of Ethics; now, therefore, be it

ORDERED, that the House Ethics Committee shall convene no later than April 13, 2017 to thoroughly investigate the actions of Representative Ryan Tipping and the potential violation of the Legislative Code of Ethics, and that, by May 12, 2017, the committee shall make recommendations to the full House as it considers appropriate.