📰BIDDEFORD | Representative Requests Ethics Review Regarding Speaker Fecteau Serving as BHA Executive Director
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July 9, 2026, Earlier today, Representative Katrina Smith "formally requested an independent review by the Maine Ethics Commission regarding Speaker Ryan Fecteau’s upcoming employment as Executive Director of the Biddeford Housing Authority."
Representative Smith added, "Speaker of the House holds tremendous power over legislation and public policy. When outside employment directly intersects with decisions made in Augusta, transparency matters.
This is not about prejudging the outcome. It is about ensuring Maine people can have confidence that those in positions of power are held to the highest ethical standards."
For your convenience, we have included the formal request sent to the Maine Ethics Commission:
When asked about this matter, Speaker Fecteau responded, "I am not providing comments on this matter".
In addressing the concern of a potential conflict of interest shared in a social media post yesterday, Speaker Ryan Fecteau stated, "Since the Biddeford Housing Authority is a quasi-municipal organization, I made certain that assuming this position would not run into any conflicts.
While I could not see any conflicts given the competitive nature of funding awards and the governance being derived from the municipality and not the state, I take avoiding conflicts very seriously.
I contacted MaineHousing and asked for an opinion from the Maine Ethics Commission. They determined there is no conflict. In fact, the Ethics Commission identified a 1977 Attorney General’s opinion addressed to then Rep. Armand LeBlanc, who inquired about taking a job as Executive Director of the Van Buren Housing Authority.
The 1977 opinion advised there was no incompatibility or conflict of interest or separation of powers problem under Article II, Sections 1 and 2 of the Constitution of Maine."
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