BANGOR DAILY NEWS • July 19, 2023
Former state Sen. Tom Saviello was celebrating after Maine voted to oppose the Central Maine Power Co. corridor. Now, he is being paid to work on CMP’s side of a referendum on Maine’s electricity future. Saviello was among the most visible corridor opponents during the yearslong political and legal struggle over the project. He was hired in April for $5,000 per month by Versant Power’s political group opposing a utility takeover, according to campaign finance disclosures filed this week. Saviello said he dove into the details of the takeover and decided there were too many risks involved. He joins an army of public figures and lobbyists working for the utilities. They are part of a massive multi-front campaign between CMP and Versant that has spent more than $17.1 million against just $733,000 from Our Power.