Sen. Ron Collins, R-Wells, and his attorney Josh Tardy appear before the Maine Senate's Conduct and Ethics Committee on Thursday at the State House in Augusta. The panel later voted to clear Collins of any unethical behavior following allegations by Democrats that he had "defrauded taxpayers."

Sen. Andre Cushing, R-Newport, listens during a meeting of the Maine Senate's Conduct and Ethics Committee on Thursday at the State House in Augusta.

Sen. Ron Collins, R-Wells, listens during a meeting of the Maine Senate's Conduct and Ethics Committee on Thursday at the State House in Augusta.

Ethics committee member Sen. Roger Katz, R-Augusta, speaks during a meeting of the Maine Senate's Conduct and Ethics Committee on Thursday at the State House in Augusta.

Sen. Andre Cushing, R-Newport, listens during a meeting of the Maine Senate's Conduct and Ethics Committee on Thursday at the State House in Augusta.

Josh Tardy, attorney for Republican Sens. Ron Collins and Andre Cushing, speak to reporters during a break in a meeting of the Maine Senate's Conduct and Ethics Committee on Thursday at the State House in Augusta.

Sen. Justin Alfond, D-Portland, testifies before the five members of the Maine Senate's Conduct and Ethics Committee on Thursday at the State House in Augusta, where the panel considered charges that Sen. Ron Collins, R-Wells, and Sen. Andre Cushing, R-Newport, violated the Senate rules.