Conservatives love him. Liberals disdain him. For residents of Maine town, it’s more complicated

NORTHEAST HARBOR, Maine — When Donald Trump was elected president earlier this month, Caroline Pryor’s mind turned immediately to the man who lives down the road — Leonard Leo. “We are making people on the island aware of who he is, and they might question taking his money,” Mary Jane Schepers, one of the protesters, said as she urged runners to flip off Leo’s home. “We can’t just act like he is a regular person in our community.” Buell, 75, resigned her position on the housing nonprofit’s campaign committee when Leo got involved with the charity. Asked about people leaving the island church, Leo wrote he was “thankful for every person who takes the time to come to Holy Redeemer and is striving to be in union with the church and Christ, regardless of what they do or believe in their private lives.” ’He isn’t going anywhere’ Not everyone is upset about Leo’s Maine move. House Republican Leader Billy Bob Faulkingham, who represents a district just off the island, excoriated the protesters in an op-ed and heralded Leo in an interview for “sticking to his beliefs and donating to the causes he believes in.” Since 2020, Leo’s network has funneled over $1 million to conservative causes in the state, including around $800,000 to a policy institute that funds a conservative website and over $300,000 to a conservative state representative’s political network.