Maine Governor Janet Mills has made the decision not to remove Oxford County Sheriff Christopher Wainwright from office despite accusations of improprieties against him. The allegations included the transfer of guns from an evidence locker to a gun dealer without proper documentation, failure to ensure proper certifications for school resource officers, and allegedly influencing a deputy to show leniency to someone stopped for a traffic infraction.
Governor Mills stated that the evidence presented did not meet the high threshold of 'extraordinary circumstances' required to remove a sheriff from office, a step that has not been taken in Maine since 1926. While she acknowledged that Sheriff Wainwright had made mistakes and acted inappropriately at times, she did not find sufficient grounds for his removal.
The request for Wainwright's removal came from Oxford County commissioners earlier this year, prompting the governor to review the case. Governor Mills noted that the issue regarding school resource officer certifications dated back to the previous sheriff's tenure and found no evidence of personal gain by Wainwright in the gun transaction.
Regarding the incident where Wainwright allegedly intervened on behalf of an acquaintance with a traffic violation due to family circumstances, Governor Mills determined that his actions were not illegal or unethical. However, she did criticize the sheriff for his response to a deputy questioning his intervention, citing inappropriate behavior.
Ultimately, Governor Mills' decision not to remove Sheriff Wainwright underscores the importance of upholding the legal standards required for such actions. While acknowledging the sheriff's missteps, the governor concluded that the evidence did not warrant his removal from office.
