Judge sides with Maine governor on removing mural

Maine Gov. Paul LePage was within his rights when he ordered the removal of a mural depicting the history of the labor movement from a state office building, a federal judge ruled Friday, a year after the mural was put into storage at an undisclosed location.

Judge John Woodcock dismissed a lawsuit aimed at restoring the labor mural to its original location in on the ground floor of the Department of Labor building.

The governor's decision created a national uproar that proved to be a major distraction, but LePage felt vindicated by the judge's ruling.

“We've always believed this was a frivolous, politically motivated lawsuit,” said Adrienne Bennett, the governor's spokeswoman. “It would be stunning if government officials were to be barred from making different artistic choices than their predecessors.”

Read the whole story here.