A former campaign staffer was sentenced this week to three years in prison for embezzling tens of thousands of dollars from a 2020 U.S. Senate candidate.
A Hancock County jury found Matthew McDonald guilty in September of stealing $225,000 from Max Linn between April and July 2021. Linn died in December 2021 at age 62.
McDonald had worked on Linn’s unsuccessful bid to unseat Sen. Susan Collins in 2020, and court records show that he had promised to invest the money in cryptocurrency on Linn’s behalf.
“The defendant did intentionally create or reinforce the impression that he would invest money in certain digital assets on Linn’s behalf, which impression was false and which defendant did not believe to be true, all in violation of (state law),” reads a copy of the April 2023 indictment against McDonald.
Justice Harold Stewart sentenced McDonald on Wednesday to seven years with all but three suspended, which means he will be released after three years. He will also be on probation for three years and has to pay $100,000 in restitution.
Robert Van Horn, the attorney who represented McDonald, did not respond to an email or a voicemail on Thursday afternoon.
Severin M. Beliveau, the attorney who represents Linn’s wife, Hanna Aquino, said he felt the outcome was fair. Eight witnesses testified at the sentencing hearing, he said, to ask the judge to impose a serious penalty for the crime.
“It wasn’t just the money he stole,” Beliveau said. “It was how he betrayed and maligned Max Linn.”
McDonald previously accused Linn of pointing a gun at him in a dispute over the cryptocurrency investment, an accusation that Linn denied. In October 2021, a judge granted McDonald a temporary protection order.
A U.S. District Court judge ruled in a separate civil case in November to award Linn’s estate $225,000 in relief, though court records indicate McDonald may have trouble paying the money.
“The record establishes that (defendant) has no earnings or income,” reads a filing by U.S. Magistrate Judge John Nivison, who recommended against a payment installment order.
Linn was a long shot in the 2020 Senate race in Maine. He faced Republican incumbent Collins and Democratic challenger and former Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon.
A retired financial planner from Bar Harbor, Linn self-funded his campaign and drew attention for his debate antics, including cutting up a mask in protest of COVID-19 restrictions and replying “request denied” when moderators asked him to stay on topic.
Staff Writer Rachel Ohm contributed to this story.
