PORTLAND, Maine — U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree and her husband, financier Donald Sussman, are divorcing. Pingree, of Maine's 1st Congressional District, says the split is the reason why she missed an August deadline to file a personal financial disclosure form for 2014 with the clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives.
The Maine Republican Party had criticized her for a lack of transparency after she missed the August deadline and an earlier one back in May.
Rick Bennett says the disclosures, which detail representatives incomes and assets, are meant to highlight whether House members have any personal financial interest in the legislation that comes before them. Bennett is chairman of the Maine Republican Party, which sent out a press release Tuesday morning entitled "Hold Chellie Pingree accountable."
"These rules are there for a reason," he says. "Members of Congress increasingly have investments in lots of companies. They've got complicated financial arrangements. And Congresswoman Pingree used to be the head of Common Cause. She made a name for herself advocating transparency and accountability in government.""
Nine members of the 435-member U.S. House have failed to file personal financial disclosure information for 2014 — five Republicans and four Democrats.
"I think there are anywhere from a dozen to several dozen members of Congress who request, and are granted extensions, every year," says Aaron Scherb, director of legislative affairs for Common Cause. "And, sort of, whatever reason. I mean the public doesn't know the why or the circumstances surrounding that."
In a statement, released late Tuesday, Pingree shed some light on her most recent request for an extension. The congresswoman and Sussman are separated and are getting a divorce.
An email from Pingree's spokesman, containing the divorce announcement, went on to note that, due to the split, Pingree is no longer required to list Sussman's financial information on her annual disclosure form.
Pingree, the email went on to say, used a 30-day grace period — after the August due date for the personal financial disclosure form — to tell family and friends about the change in her marital status.
She filed the disclosure form today.