A federal jury will hear opening arguments Monday in the case of a retired state trooper who says he faced professional retaliation and is owed financial damages after he reported alleged privacy violations at the state police intelligence center.
Retired Maine State Police Trooper George Loder, of Scarborough, says he was denied a lateral transfer to another detective position after he called out what he said was illegal activity at the Maine Information and Analysis Center in Augusta.
At its core, Loder’s lawsuit is an employment dispute, but his 2020 complaint made an array of allegations that the state police intelligence unit was improperly collecting information on citizens engaged in lawful activity, including protesters opposed to the CMP corridor project and an illegal registry of lawful gun owners who had background checks processed by the FBI.
Attorneys representing the state police have attacked Loder’s claims, and a federal judge agreed to dismiss all but two elements.
Loder’s civil trial beings Monday in U.S. District Court in Portland and is scheduled to last five days. The proposed list of witnesses includes current and former top officials at the Maine State Police, including Col. John Cote, who recently retired to take a position in the private sector, along with agents and employees of the FBI.
Jurors will be asked to determine if Loder suffered an infringement of his First Amendment rights and if he was subject to professional retaliation. The case will...
Continue without agreeing We value your privacy With your agreement, we and our 386 partners use cookies or similar technologies to store, access, and process personal data like your visit on this...