WATERVILLE — Mayor Dana Sennett on Tuesday paid back his employer, the Morning Sentinel, $3,837 for discounts he took for political advertisements he ran in the newspaper.
Sennett, an advertising account executive for the Sentinel, said he met Tuesday with Anthony Ronzio, editor and publisher of the Morning Sentinel and its sister paper, the Kennebec Journal.
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“I came in and paid the amount that they wanted me to pay and had a discussion with Tony,” Sennett said. “We reached an understanding.”
Ronzio said Tuesday that Sennett “remains a valued employee of the Morning Sentinel.”
Ronzio also said an email was sent to employees Tuesday notifying them that the newspaper has changed its advertising policies for employees.
Ronzio on Monday said Sennett used his position as an advertising representative for the newspaper to receive discounted rates for his mayoral campaign that were unavailable to other candidates. He said Sennett also used an employee discount that should not have been applied to political advertising.
The discounts were discovered after the campaign of Sennett’s opponent Karen Heck raised questions about Sennett’s political advertisements, including large ones that appeared Friday and Sunday. Sennett is a Democrat; Heck is unenrolled.
Sennett said he apologized to the newspaper’s administrative officials.
“I want everything to be above board,” he said. “I feel it’s above board. I want to do the right thing and I feel comfortable with it. I have to make sure this never happens again.”
Amy Calder — 861-9247
acalder@centralmaine.com
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