Mark Eves

Mark W. Eves is an American politician and family therapist from Maine.^[1] In 2008, he was elected to the Maine House of Representatives from District 146, North Berwick. He was re-elected in 2010 and 2012 before being chosen as the Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives for the 126th Maine Legislature (2012-2014). From 2010-2012, Eves was the ranking minority member of the Health and Human Services committee.^[1]

On June 30, 2014, the Talking Points Memo website claimed that some Maine adherents to the sovereign citizen movement had called for Eves and fellow Democratic Senate President Justin Alfond to be tried, convicted, and executed for treason during meetings with Governor Paul LePage in 2013. LePage denied that such discussions took place, even after learning that audio recordings exist of two men claiming such a discussion took place.^[2]

In the November 2014 general election, the Democrats lost control of the Maine Senate but retained a narrow majority in the Maine House of Representatives. A week later, Eves was re-nominated as House Speaker by his caucus.^[3]

Eves has been mentioned as a possible Democratic candidate for Governor of Maine in 2018. He calls such speculation 'surreal'.^[4]

Early life and education

Mark Eves was born in northern California to Arthur Eves, a former military chaplain during World War II and his mother, a school teacher. The Eves family moved to Oregon when he was 3 months old. He is the youngest of 7 children in his family.^[5] When he was 5, the Eves family moved again, this time to Italy so that his father could study to become a Montessori teacher. His family later moved to Arizona and later to Louisville, Kentucky, where Eves settled at age 11. He later attended the University of Louisville and Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. He met his wife, Laura while both were seeking master's degrees in marriage and family therapy at Louisville Presbyterian. The pair settled in North Berwick, Maine around 2002 and have three children.^[6]

Good Will-Hinckley hiring controversy

Charter school creation

In September 2012, Good Will-Hinckley, a private, not-for-profit organization located in Fairfield, Maine, opened a charter school called the Maine Academy of Natural Sciences ("MeANS").^[7] As part of the 2013-2015 Maine State budget, MeANS received approximately $1,060,000 in discretionary funding from the State.^[7] The president of Good Will-Hinckley at the time was Glenn Cummings, the former Democratic Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives who had opposed charter schools while serving in the legislature.^[7]

Subsequent hiring process

In September 2014, Good Will-Hinckley initiated a nationwide search for a new president after Cummings resigned.

Bill Brown, who worked for Eves in the State Legislature, later testified that, at the request of former Speaker Cumming, he informed Eves of the job opening and suggested that Eves apply.^[8][9] Brown, who was also the chairman of MeANS's board at the time, helped Eves organize his resume but did not provide assistance to any of the other applicants.^[8]

Of the nineteen applications received, six candidates were selected to be interviewed, including Eves.^[7] Brown, in addition to being present for the hiring committee's interviews of Eves, also sat in on the interviews for all of the other candidates and commented on aspects of Eves' candidacy to other interview committee members.^[8] The committee eventually unanimously voted to offer Speaker Eves the position previously held by former Speaker Cummings.^[7]

On June 5, 2015, Eves signed an employment agreement with Good Will-Hinckley.^[7]

LePage funding threats and subsequent firing

When Governor LePage learned of Eves' selection, he contacted Good Will-Hinckley criticizing Eves as a "hack" and urging them to reconsider their decision.^[7] Governor LePage further indicated that he would be withdrawing all support from Good Will-Hinckley as long as Eves remained as President of the organization and described Eves as "a longtime opponent of public charter schools".^[7] LePage thereafter stated that he would not send any more discretionary funding to Good Will-Hinckley, although he took no steps to reduce or eliminate funding allocated for Good Will-Hinckley in the proposed budget.^[7]

LePage would further go on to say "He [Eves] worked his entire political career to oppose and threaten charter schools in Maine. He is the mouthpiece for the Maine Education Association. Giving taxpayers' money to a person who has fought so hard against charter schools would be unconscionable."^[7] "Former legislator Paul Violette, the past head of the Maine Turnpike Authority, went to jail for enriching himself and misappropriating public money. . . . These former legislators used their political positions to land cushy, high-paying jobs in which they were trusted to use taxpayer money to improve the lives of Mainers. They abused that trust and had to face the consequences of their actions. The same is true of Mark Eves."^[7]

On June 24, 2015, Good Will-Hinckley fired Eves.^[7]

Civil lawsuit against LePage and subsequent dismissal

Eves, as well as Republican State Sen. Roger Katz criticized LePage for attacking Eves' personal livelihood and family.^[10] Eves filed a civil lawsuit against LePage on July 30, 2015, asserting illegal retaliation and blackmail.^[11] Eves has said he and his office will not be involved in any legislative actions against LePage.^[12]

On May 3, 2016, U.S. District Judge George Singal dismissed Eves' lawsuit, finding that Governor LePage was entitled to immunity from suit for his actions as the discretion afforded LePage "clearly encompasses advocating for his preferred charter school policy" and the "dispurs[ment of] funds" for MeANS.^[7]

References

Current statewide political officials of Maine
U.S. Senators	Susan Collins Angus King
State government	Paul LePage, Governor Matthew Dunlap, Secretary of State Janet Mills, Attorney General Terry Hayes, Treasurer
Senate	Michael Thibodeau, President Garrett Mason, Majority Leader Justin Alfond, Minority Leader
House	Mark Eves, Speaker Jeff McCabe, Majority Leader Kenneth Fredette, Minority Leader
Supreme Court	Leigh Saufley, Chief Justice Joseph Jabar Donald Alexander Ellen Gorman Andrew Mead Jeffrey Hjelm Thomas Humphrey, Associate Justices