The Democrat Matt Dunlap, current state auditor of Maine and his party's candidate for the House of Representatives for the 2nd District, is facing scrutiny over a series of votes he cast during his time in the state legislature, which his critics present as evidence of a permissive stance on certain sexual offenses, the protection of minors, and violence against pregnant women.
Dunlap is seeking to win a district considered favorable to President Donald Trump and which is currently represented by Democrat Jared Golden, who has decided to step down. The electoral contest could make the legislative records of the candidates a central element of the campaign.
One of the main criticisms refers to a 2001 bill that sought to establish lifetime supervised release for certain dangerous sex offenders. On May 21 of that year, Dunlap voted in favor of the majority report from the Judiciary Committee recommending against approving the initiative L.D. 476, titled ''An Act to Require Lifetime Supervision for Dangerous Sex Offenders''.
The proposal aimed to impose lifetime supervision on individuals convicted as dangerous sex offenders. A minority amendment would have specifically applied the measure to individuals who had been convicted twice previously for offenses such as rape or attempted murder with sexual assault. It also included mandatory treatment for sex offenders as a condition of supervised release.
During the debate, Representative John O’Brien explained that the measure would apply to individuals who had been convicted twice for extremely serious sexual offenses. According to his estimate, the legislation would likely affect between 10 and 15 individuals. O’Brien argued that, after serving their sentences, those offenders should continue under ''very, very'' close supervision due to the severity of their records.
Dunlap also later voted against a motion related to the approval of the bill, reinforcing his opposition to the initiative. His critics find it particularly concerning that he rejected a measure aimed at keeping dangerous repeat sex offenders under permanent supervision.
Another episode dates back to 1997 when Dunlap voted in favor of the Judiciary Committee report recommending against approving L.D. 1096, a proposal aimed at making it a crime to lure minors using computers to commit illicit sexual acts.
The bill sought to establish a specific crime for adults who used computers with the intent to entice, persuade, coerce, or solicit minors to meet with them for sexual purposes. The legislation included penalties linked to the level of the sexual offense intended to be committed.
