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Oxford County commissioners will ask the governor to remove their elected sheriff from office after he improperly disposed of guns from evidence, allowed uncertified cops to work as school resource officers, and berated a deputy who complained about the sheriff asking him to go easy on a case, according to the draft minutes from their Jan. 16 meeting.
“Sheriff Christopher Wainwright has failed to faithfully and efficiently perform the duties of his Office and improperly exercised and acted outside of his legal authority,” read the minutes, which the Oxford County administrator’s office released Wednesday.
Though they do not specify when, the minutes state that the commissioners will send a complaint to Gov. Janet Mills detailing Wainwright’s actions and asking that he be removed from office.
Abby Shanor, the interim county administrator, said the commissioners are working with their attorney to put together the complaint, and there is no expected time when they will vote to send it to the governor.
The commissioners will meet tomorrow, Feb. 1, but they are not expected to discuss the complaint further then, she said.
“I don’t expect them to do anything further tomorrow. They made a decision on the 16th, and nothing has changed since that decision,” she said.
A sheriff is elected and cannot be suspended or disciplined by commissioners. Under Maine law, sheriffs can only be removed by the governor.
