Although I am not qualified to offer legal advice, I offer an observation to help folks here in Maine who are receiving TANF funds through their EBT cards.

If you are caught abusing your benefits by using your card for anything but its intended purpose and now have to face a judge — good news: You now have a legitimate defense.

All you have to do is reference Adrienne Bennett’s statement regarding Gov. Paul LePage’s use of TANF funds for things other than their intended purpose, that being to pay Gary Alexander $475,000 for a plagiarized report.

You can quote Bennett by telling the judge that it was simply a “missstep” and you want to move forward.

If the U.S. government and Maine’s attorney general see nothing wrong with what LePage and Mayhew did, then your case should also be regarded as a “misstep” and be dismissed.

Al Pelletier, Norway