A two-time Independent Maine gubernatorial candidate and major Democratic donor was arrested Friday by the Maine State Police after search warrants were served on his two Maine homes.
Eliot Cutler was arrested for being in possession of child pornography at his home in Brooklin on March 25, reported Fox News.
Cutler was charged with four counts of possession of unlawful sexually explicit material of a minor under 12 but was released after posting his $50,000 bail, according to Fox. (RELATED: ‘Is He The Victim?’: Sen. Josh Hawley Presses Judge Jackson For ‘Apologizing’ To Child Porn Offender)
Hancock County District Attorney Matthew Foster said there may be additional charges filed against Culter after the authorities finish reviewing the material obtained by the search warrants, reported The Associated Press. The search warrants covered alleged crimes from December through March and authorities are still reviewing the material, Foster said, according to the outlet.
Culter worked for former President Jimmy Carter and for Democratic Maine Sen. Edmund Muskie. He also allegedly donated regularly to Democratic Party candidates including Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills’ 2022 reelection campaign, tweeted the Republican Party of Maine.
Recipients of Cutler cash include:
Janet Mills
Jared Golden
Joe Biden
Bernie Sanders
Barack Obama
Angus King
Chellie Pingree
The NH, WI, OH, CO, IA, VA, NV, and FL Dem state parties
The DNC#mepolitics— Maine GOP (@mainegop) March 25, 2022
Cutler and his wife gave Mills’ 2022 reelection campaign $3,450 apiece, reported Central Maine. Mills’ campaign spokesperson, Alexandra Raposo, announced the donations made by the couple were donated to the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault organization, according to the outlet.
Raposo said Mills was shocked to hear about the nature of Cutler’s arrest.
“Like people across Maine, the governor was stunned and appalled by the news,” Raposo said in an email to Central Maine. “Exploitation of children — the most innocent and vulnerable among us — is despicable and a fundamental violation of humanity.”
Culter resigned from his position on the board of student outreach group, the Lerner Foundation, on March 23, according to Lerner Foundation Executive Director Don Carpenter.
The foundation was “deeply disturbed” to learn about the charges levied against Cutler, Carpenter said in a statement on the foundation’s website.
“In his former role on the Board of Directors, Eliot was involved in high-level strategy and governance and did not directly interface with students who participated in grant funded programming,” the group’s statement read. “His relationship with the Lerner Foundation terminated as of Wednesday, March 23, 2022.”