Oxford County Sheriff Christopher Wainwright defends record in dismissal hearing [Video]

AUGUSTA — Christopher Wainwright defended his actions during a hearing Monday to consider whether to remove him as sheriff of Oxford County.

The hearing will continue Wednesday morning with further testimony and closing statements.

The Oxford County Commission sent a detailed 10-page complaint in February to Gov. Janet Mills, asking her to remove Wainwright for his failure “to faithfully and efficiently perform the duties of his office and improperly exercised and acted outside of his legal authority.”

They came to this conclusion following a number of investigations into Wainwright’s conduct, including his decision in 2020 and 2021 to dispose of dozens of firearms from the department’s evidence room without the knowledge of county officials and outside their financial scrutiny.

In addition to the firearms sales, commissioners based their request on Wainwright’s decision to allow two school resource officers to carry guns in schools last year even though their certification as law enforcement officers had expired.

The third situation is …