State Senator Lois Snowe-Mello's campaign is $13,000 dollars richer thanks to the matching funds provision for clean election candidates.  According to a report from the State Ethics Commission filed on October 8th, the expenditures for mail were made on September 18th.  The delay in reporting the expenditure means the State Democratic Party will likely have to pay a fine and will also have to appear before the Ethics Commission.  State Law requires that these types of expenditures be reported within 24 hours

The matching funds provision of Maine's public financing is simply a mechanism that directs additional dollars to a candidate, when that candidate's opponent receives expenditures on their behalf or in opposition to that candidate. Also important to note, no independent expenditures can involve the candidate of the candidate's campaign.  There are several ways that independent parties attempt to get around the matching funds provision by avoiding "trigger words" like "vote for" or "vote against". However, even that loop hole ends 35 days before the election.  The Simpson mailers fell outside of that 35 day window so obviously the Simpson mailers triggered the matching funds provision because of their content.

It is unclear why there was a delay in the reporting or if there will be additional disclosures in other senate races.  Either way, a $13,000 infusion of cash for the Snowe-Mello campaign is a large sum of money considering candidates generally have 20K to spend in total.