The Maine Department of Public Safety has sent the executive director of its Gambling Control Unit (GCU), Milt Champion, on forced leave following social media posts by the 36-year gambling industry veteran that include sexist language and the apparent condoning of a racist group.
Champion’s LinkedIn profile lists 17 as the number of years he’s served as a state gambling regulator, but despite this experience Champion posted sexist comments via Twitter in early May:
Whether or not Champion knew the GCU followed his personal Twitter account, his vent after being told off for using the word “ladies” might have been intended to be funny, but in his role as state exec, he shouldn’t even have gone there (or in his role as a human adult, really).
said the supremacist group was: “at least […] not burning down cities and looting stores”
Champion, however, went a step further last week as he appeared to condone white nationalist group Patriot Front. Under a video of the group demonstrating, the suspended gambling exec said the supremacist group was: “at least […] not burning down cities and looting stores.”
According to the Maine Press Herald, Lt. Thomas Pickering of the Maine State Police confirmed Champion’s enforced leave since Wednesday. Pickering added: “Given that this is an ongoing, personnel-related matter, the department is unable to comment further.”