LEWISTON — In a letter to state Republican lawmakers Friday, Maine Gov. Paul LePage apologized for the controversy over statements he made about President Barack Obama.

The fundraiser, sponsored by the Kennebec County Republican Committee, was held at the private home of John and Lisa Fortier in Belgrade.

Separate, undisclosed sources accused LePage of saying, “Obama hates white people.”

He subsequently denied saying that and Friday made an effort to clarify what he did say. 

“Let me be clear,” LePage wrote Friday, “I do not believe that President Obama dislikes any racial group.”

Earlier in the memo he apologized for any “difficulty that remarks recently reported in the press may have caused you.”

LePage goes on to say that his statement about Obama during a private GOP event in Belgrade last week wasn’t a condemnation of the president but more an expression of the Governor’s disappointment.

“From my own family experience, I have seen and felt the effects of poverty and prejudice on our society,” LePage wrote.  “I believe that President Obama had perhaps the most unique opportunity in history to bring the country together. He could have been a great unifier for this nation. It is unfortunate that the President has missed that opportunity. It is also unfortunate that the media seized on this opportunity to try to divide us even more and create a problem where there is none.”

LePage also went on to condemn the newspapers that first broke the news of his statement, charging them with being politically motivated. The Portland Press Herald is owned, in part, by billionaire hedge-fund manager Donald Sussman, the husband of U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine.

“Newspapers owned by politically motivated and powerful elitists relentlessly attack my every word and often mischaracterize my comments,” LePage wrote. “They highlight negativity and partisan finger-pointing while putting important issues in the background — or they fail to report them at all. Ultimately, the goal of these media attacks is to prevent us from moving Maine ahead so the same old establishment politicians and their wealthy power brokers can maintain the status quo.”

LePage goes on to explain that he grew up on the streets of Lewiston, speaking French as his first language.

” . . . I am not a polished speaker,” he wrote. “I am plain-spoken, and I do not always use the correct wording while making a point. Yes, I can be blunt. But, as I have learned throughout my life, a person’s actions speak louder than their words.”

LePage’s allies have pointed to his life story and his support for Devon Raymond, a native of Jamaica, who lived with LePage’s family and whom the governor refers to as his “adopted son.” Williams also appears in the governor’s official family portrait along with his other children.

Between 50 and 60 people attended the Belgrade fundraiser, including several sitting Republican lawmakers, representatives from Sen. Susan Collins’ office and the new chairman of the Republican Party, Rick Bennett.

The fundraiser was billed as a chance to meet the governor and first lady Ann LePage as well as honor Bennett’s election as chairman, according to a Maine Republican Party mailing. The donation was $50 per person to attend.

Bennett also confirmed the governor made comments about President Obama and race during the fundraiser.

“(Gov. LePage) said President Obama had an opportunity to unify the country on race, but didn’t do anything,” Bennett said.

When asked directly whether the governor made the remark about the president and white people, Bennett said, “I didn’t hear that.”

In a subsequent conversation, Bennett said, “The governor is not a racist. He raised an African-American kid,” a reference to Raymond.

In his letter Friday, LePage was both contrite and defiant but he also urged GOP lawmakers to stay the course and not be distracted by the media dust-up over his remarks.

“I write to you to apologize for any difficulty that remarks recently reported in the press may have caused you,” LePage wrote. “I had hoped that this matter, which was fueled by rumor and innuendo in the media, would die down. But there are some who are still fanning the flames.”

He urged the Maine GOP to move forward with its agenda.

“Let’s focus on the progress we are making to create jobs, improve the economy, reduce taxes and reform welfare,” LePage wrote. “Working together, our actions will build a better Maine.”

sthistle@sunjournal.com

LePage letter to GOP lawmakers

My fellow Republicans,

I write to you to apologize for any difficulty that remarks recently reported in the press may have caused you. I had hoped that this matter, which was fueled by rumor and innuendo in the media, would die down. But there are some who are still fanning the flames.

Let me be clear, I do not believe that President Obama dislikes any racial group.

From my own family experience, I have seen and felt the effects of poverty and prejudice on our society. I believe that President Obama had perhaps the most unique opportunity in history to bring the country together. He could have been a great unifier for this nation. It is unfortunate that the President has missed that opportunity. It is also unfortunate that the media seized on this opportunity to try to divide us even more and create a problem where there is none.

Newspapers owned by politically motivated and powerful elitists relentlessly attack my every word and often mischaracterize my comments. They highlight negativity and partisan finger-pointing while putting important issues in the background — or they fail to report them at all. Ultimately, the goal of these media attacks is to prevent us from moving Maine ahead so the same old establishment politicians and their wealthy power brokers can maintain the status quo.

I grew up on the streets, where my first language was French, and I am not a polished speaker. I am plain-spoken, and I do not always use the correct wording while making a point. Yes, I can be blunt. But, as I have learned throughout my life, a person’s actions speak louder than their words.

So let’s focus on the progress we are making to create jobs, improve the economy, reduce taxes and reform welfare. Working together, our actions will build a better Maine.

Paul R. LePage

Governor