PORTLAND — With just three weeks to go until Election Day, Maine Democrats are calling on Republican gubernatorial candidate Bobby Charles to denounce spending on ads they say are deceptive.

At issue is spending by a political action committee that is registered as a supporter of the Charles campaign but is now running ads backing independent candidate Rick Bennett.

The ads directly appeal to progressives, highlighting Bennett’s support for LGBTQ rights and universal health care.

The No Nonsense PAC was formed in June and its top funder is Thomas Klingenstein, a hedge fund manager and frequent GOP donor. So far, the PAC has spent more than $98,000 on ads to support Bennett, according to campaign finance reports. 

And while Democrats acknowledge that Charles does not control the PAC, they say he should denounce the ads because they are confusing to the public.

“At bare minimum, he should make a public, unequivocal statement saying that he does not support or condone this sort of dirty politics and under the table spending,” said Dr. Nirav Shah, who lost in the Democratic primary to nominee Hannah Pingree.

Charles’ spokesman Dale Crafts Jr. said they cannot and do not coordinate with PACs and that they had no further comment. A spokeswoman for Bennett also said they had no comment.

Charles, Pingree and Bennett are all running on the Nov. 3 ballot to replace Democratic Gov. Janet Mills. 

At the Tuesday press conference in Portland organized by the Maine Democratic Party, Shah and former 2nd Congressional District candidate Jordan Wood criticized Charles for his tactics throughout the race.

“This is the kind of shady, crooked and distasteful tactics and tricks in politics that voters hate,” Wood said.

Party Executive Director Devon Murphy-Anderson said Maine Democrats also filed a complaint with the Maine Ethics Commission accusing Charles of accepting campaign donations over the legal maximum.

In response, Charles’ spokesman told Spectrum News earlier this month that some supporters had contributed too much and that the campaign is returning the money.