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#MEpolitics

Tipster suggests this is Miles Theeman (tinyurl.com/a58km7c9) who earned nearly $700K in 2016 as a VP at Northern Light Health per @propublica.org: tinyurl.com/zata2j4b. That's ≈ $1M in 2026 dollars. Susan Collins's surrogate is a guy who got rich off Mainers' health care? Makes sense. #MEpolitics

[Waves arms frantically in multiple directions] #MEpolitics

They'll type up whatever she wants them to type up, won't they? #MEpolitics

Did the political patrons of a US senator cut her a sweetheart deal on her house? No idea. But in a functional media ecosystem, the transaction would've been noted and the question explored in the press. Maybe it was explored here. But we find no evidence of it. #mepolitics 10/10

Finally, we wrote the reporter of the piece to ask about the origin of the story's detail on the house's previous ownership. The reporter replied to note property records are public, but didn't respond when we clarified, asking if the detail had been unearthed from an older article. 9/X

(We don't have access to a Lexis-Nexis type database these days, but we ran a bunch of Google searches as well and weren't able to turn up any stories on the 2013 sale, or even a listing for the house itself.) 8/X

Also reached out to longtime reporters at BDN and PPH to ask: Did all of us just miss the 2013 article(s) on how Collins was buying a house from the folks who had helped launch and sustain her political career? Or did no such story run? Haven't received a reply from either. 7/X

We were totally surprised when BDN noted the Warren-to-Collins purchase history in their piece on Collins deciding to sell her house. So we reached out to a group of longtime, astute watchers of #MEpolitics. None was aware she had bought the house from the family behind BDN nine years ago. 6/X

If that's not enough conflicts, the editor's *spouse* was also a Collins staffer and the paper's owner is a Collins campaign donor. This is the context in which Collins buys her home from the family behind BDN in 2013, which also makes her the owner's neighbor. #mepolitics 5/X

BDN took the same pull-out-the-stops approach in her 1996 Senate race -- but this time it paid off with a victory. BDN's managing editor then left the paper to work as the communications director in Collins office...before eventually returning to run BDN again. #MEpolitics 4/X

First it's key to understand that Susan Collins's relationship with BDN is longstanding and, ahem, unusual. E.g. in her 1994 gubernatorial race, the paper was seen by a Collins-friendly GOP operative to have "turned true objective reporting upside down" to help her win. #MEpolitics 3/X

Quick thread on the revelation that Susan Collins bought her home -- 9 yrs ago! -- from the family behind the news outlet that helped her get to DC and works like mad to keep her there. tinyurl.com/2fcmkuz5 #MEpolitics 2/X

Below with minor edits is a copy/paste of a thread we posted at the other place in 2022. Seems freshly relevant -- in light of recent discussion about Portland Press Herald and also our Tuesday story on Collins, Daffron and corruption. Original thread here: tinyurl.com/mr3fsuen #MEpolitics 1/X

As @anthonyemerson.bsky.social notes the guy touting Susan Collins's supposed progressive credentials seems to have two houses. Typical Mainer! #MEpolitics

Susan Collins campaign just put out a video of a guy talking about how "progressive" she is if you're wondering how they think the campaign is going. #MEpolitics

Yeah she supports the SAVE Act not just voter ID. WaPo choosing a pretty Collins-friendly way to spin it.

Hey look we made the news! (Video has just under 2,000 likes on Instagram in a few hours.) #MEpolitics

Susan Collins is fine with this. (We know she's fine with it because she hasn't lifted a finger to stop it.) #MEpolitics

Hey credit where it's due to @randybillings.bsky.social and @pressherald.com for not totally ignoring this. That said Clayton's role in subpoenaing journalists is way down on the list of "concerns." He has zero intel experience and wouldn't say Joe Biden won in 2020 just for starters. #MEpolitics