Lawmaker who faced ethics investigation wins county seat

An outgoing state senator who faced state ethics fines has won his race for county commissioner.

The Bangor Daily News reports that Republican Andre Cushing will continue serving as a Penobscot County commissioner.

Cushing has been serving as a commissioner since the August death of County Commissioner Tom Davis.

The Maine Ethics Commission fined Cushing's political committee $9,000 in 2017 for 11 finance reports filed late between 2014 and 2016.

Cushing then stepped down as assistant majority leader in the state Senate. In February, he said he wouldn't run for re-election.

Cushing's sister has accused him in a civil lawsuit of misusing family business funds and commingling some of that money with campaign funds.

He's disputed such accusations.