Maine Revised Statutes Title 21-A. Elections § 1054-A. Duties and liabilities of the treasurer, principal officer and primary decision maker of committees

1. Duties of the treasurer. The treasurer of the committee shall ensure that the committee files and amends the committee's registration, files complete and accurate financial reports with the commission and maintains the committee's records as required by this chapter and the commission's rules. The treasurer is responsible for the committee's performance of these duties regardless of whether the treasurer has delegated administrative tasks related to these duties to another individual.

2. Joint responsibilities of the treasurer and principal officer. The treasurer and the principal officer are jointly responsible for the committee's compliance with the requirements of this chapter and the commission's rules. The treasurer and principal officer are responsible for accepting and responding to notices and correspondence from the commission on behalf of the committee.

3. Participation in spending decisions. An individual who is the treasurer, principal officer or primary decision maker of the committee and who has signed the acknowledgment statement required by section 1052-A, subsection 4 is deemed to have participated in the spending decisions of the committee until the commission receives the individual's resignation statement or a notice of the individual's involuntary removal from the committee.

4. Financial liability. The commission may hold the treasurer and principal officer jointly and severally liable with the committee for any fines assessed against the committee for violations of this chapter and chapter 14. In addition, the commission may assess all or part of a fine against any other agent of the committee who is directly responsible for a violation, including individuals who have resigned or have been removed involuntarily from the committee. In deciding whether to assess a penalty against a treasurer, principal officer or any other individual, the commission may consider, among other things, whether the individual had actual knowledge of the action that constituted the violation or had authorized that action and whether the violation was intentional or caused by an error by a vendor or someone outside the control of the committee.