David M. Rollins, the former Democratic mayor of Augusta and a longtime city councilor, is denying allegations leveled by a lifelong resident of Maine’s capital city that he spied on her through her bathroom window in 2018.
“I recall, back a few years ago, in my own home, in the privacy of my own home, getting out of the shower and in my bathroom window I see Dave Rollins looking through my window,” Pamela M. Dumas, 55, said in a video posted to Facebook last week.
“I was mortified,” said Dumas.
Dumas made the claims about her interaction with Rollins in a produced video that she posted to her own Facebook page, triggering a firestorm of social media comments and media interest.
Rollins, who is currently running as a Democrat for State House District 59, responded to the allegations in a sit-down interview with the Maine Wire, two phone calls, and a lengthy Facebook post — all of which happened before Dumas made the video public on her personal social media account. Rollins’ original post denying Dumas’s allegations, as well as vague general allegations from previous campaigns, now appears to be scrubbed from his account or set to private.
In an Oct. 22 phone call with the Maine Wire, Rollins initially denied knowing Dumas or having any knowledge of the alleged incident; however, he agreed to meet in a Hallowell parking lot to view the video and offer an explanation or response.
By the time Rollins had arrived, he had begun to recall some kind of incident with Dumas and remembered that he knew her husband. When Rollins saw Dumas’s face in the video, he instantly recognized her.
After viewing a 55-second clip of the video, Rollins acknowledged that an incident occurred between him and Dumas, but he adamantly denied Dumas’s characterization of the incident as him being a “Peeping Tom.”
Asked whether any of Dumas’s claims in the video were true, Rollins said, “Not in the context of what’s being implicated.”
In the ensuing 20-minute interview, Rollins confirmed that an incident occurred at Dumas’s home in Augusta while he was out knocking on doors as part of one of his campaigns for city council.
Rollins, at least initially, said the incident occurred in 2014 while he was out knocking on doors with William R. Stokes, a retired Maine Superior Court judge who was then the mayor of Augusta.
“[Stokes is] doing doors with me, and we’re up in that neighborhood, and we knock on that door, and as I recall the house — it’s kinda like a ranch that sits, the roads are high, there’s like a gully, and the house sits up like that,” said Rollins, gesturing with his hands.
“So I’m down at this end of the house and the front door’s that way, and we’re knocking on the door to see if somebody is home,” said Rollins.
“She comes to the window in the bathroom and yells, ‘What are you doing?” said Rollins.
“And so I tell her, we’re here campaigning, I’m Dave Rollins. So it’s rich that this comes up in the context of — because she’s a staunch Republican,” he said.
“So this comes up in the context of two weeks before the election. And so, I mean, what she’s implying is lewd, inappropriate behavior — an accidental encounter that surprised me. I’ll accept that it surprised her,” he said. “But I’m with the Mayor at the time, Bill Stokes, and we’re campaigning.”
During the in-person interview, several attempts were made to contact Stokes so that he could confirm Rollins version of what unfolded at the Dumas household in 2014, but none of those attempts were successful.
But Rollins remained insistent that Stokes’s presence with him that evening would be conclusive evidence that nothing inappropriate had occurred.
“Let’s just break this down,” Rollins said. “This guy’s not looking in my bedroom window while he’s out campaigning with the current Mayor of the city of Augusta,” he said.
Dumas, in an earlier phone interview, had told the Maine Wire that her husband, Patrick, confronted Rollins after the incident. When asked about the alleged confrontation, Rollins acknowledged that he had a conversation with Patrick the night of the incident in the Dumas driveway and that Stokes was present for that conversation.
In early 2014, though, Stokes had been appointed to the Maine Superior Court by then Republican Gov. Paul LePage, making it unlikely that he would have been pressing the pavement on behalf of any political candidate.
Shortly after the interview ended, Rollins called to clear up the confusion with the timeline surrounding Stokes. The incident at Dumas’s house, Rollins now recalled, happened in 2010, not 2014, because in 2010 Stokes would not have been a Superior Court judge and would have been free to engage in political activity.
“As I think about this deeper,” Rollings said, “Bill Stokes wouldn’t have been with me for the race when I ran for the [2014] special election.”
“So when I was campaigning against Harold Elliott, and now I’m sure of that, as I pondered this thing, he was with me when we were campaigning against Harold Elliott, which would have been 14 years ago, 13 years ago,” Rollins said.
“It wasn’t the ten year ago event, it was the 13 year ago event,” Rollins said.
“He was totally there. Totally there. It was the race against Harold Elliott, which ironically, is [Pam’s] ex-husband,” Rollins said.
Reached by phone, Stokes had no memory whatsoever of the events Rollins described.
Although Stokes said he recalled going out door-knocking on one occasion with Rollins in 2012, he did not recall any incident with Dumas—or any woman, for that matter—nor did he recall any conversation with an angry husband about such an incident.
“I just don’t have a memory of that,” Stokes said.
“And I don’t have a memory of him ever saying anything about it, and I don’t have a memory of ever meeting the husband or the ex-husband, or anybody else,” said Stokes.
Stokes didn’t recall ever seeing a freshly showered, naked, or nearly naked constituent at any point in his career. And while Rollins said that it was 2014 before he changed the year to 2010, Stokes recollects that he went out door-knocking with Rollins just once, and it was in 2012 when he was running unopposed for re-election.
“As far as I remember, our campaigning was completely uneventful,” he said.
Stokes isn’t the only one whose recollection of the “peeping” incident differs from the version, or versions, Rollins conveyed to the Maine Wire.
Dumas, in a phone interview, said it happened in 2018 and that her husband was not home at the time and never had a conversation in the driveway with Rollins.
One of Dumas’ neighbors, who asked not to be identified, confirmed that in 2018 she received a phone call from Dumas immediately following the incident.
“I went up to her house immediately after she called me,” the neighbor said.
“It was 2018,” she said.
The neighbor said there was no other person at the house, nor did Dumas mention seeing anyone other than Rollins. She also cast doubt on the alleged driveway tête-à-tête between Rollins and Dumas’s husband, as she arrived at the house before the husband did.
Patrick Dumas, Pam’s husband, also confirmed that the incident occurred in 2018, that he wasn’t home at the time, and that he never heard his wife say anything about another man being present at their home that night.
Shortly after his wife told him what had happened, Patrick said he confronted Rollins at the Calumet Club, an Augusta social club where Rollins sometimes tends bar (and sometimes is accused of stealing money, according to Rollins).
“Don’t be peeping in my windows, I said. I said, I don’t want to see that. And stay away from my wife. She was very uncomfortable,” Dumas recalled saying to Rollins.
“It’s wrong,” he said.
According to Patrick, Rollins’ wife was standing within hearing distance during the entire confrontation.
After that imbroglio, Rollins never returned to their home for political purposes — or any other purpose, that they’re aware of.
Although Rollins’ story about the incident with Pam Dumas shifted several times over the course of a 20-minute interview, two phone calls, and a subsequent Facebook post, the former mayor is correct about one thing: the timing of the video’s release is suspect.
The video in which Dumas accuses Rollins of being a “Peeping Tom” has indications of a professional production, including the quality of the video and the lapel microphone visible on her shirt.
Before Dumas made the clip public, the full video was shopped around to various media outlets, including the Maine Wire, by Republican political operatives who were aiming to change Augusta area voters’ opinion of Rollins.
The Maine Wire received a copy of the video on Oct. 12, less than one month before Rollins would stand for election against his Republican opponent, Marcus Emerson, in a race for a seat in the Maine House of Representatives.
After watching the video, interviewing Rollins, and interviewing Dumas, the Maine Wire initially declined to publish the video, concluding that the story was a “he said, she said” story and a clear attempt to influence the election.
That decision changed when Stokes came forward to totally dispute Rollins’ various versions of what happened with Pam Dumas.
Rollins’ inconsistent claims about the incident — and the conflicting statements from Stokes, Pam Dumas, Patrick Dumas, and the unnamed neighbor — suggested that, regardless of the motivations of those who produced and propagated the video, Rollins wasn’t being entirely truthful about the incident, and voters could see the interview for themselves and judge on their own who was telling the truth.
Tangled Webs
After the in-person interview, Rollins twice called the Maine Wire to clarify things he’d said during the interview (e.g. that the incident occurred in 2010, not 2014, according to his recollection) and add new information to the discussion.
“What makes it more interesting, in relation to the lack of credibility for this, is that there was another campaign after that,” Rollins said, implying that, in a reality where the incident occurred in 2010, the lack of public allegations during his next campaign would somehow refute the veracity of allegations made in 2024.
When this reporter suggested that victims of sexual harassment don’t always immediately complain or come forward with their story, Rollins cut in.
“Stop it, stop it,” said said. “Bill Stokes was definitely there.”
A few minutes later, Rollins called again to say that immediately after leaving the interview, he had made contact with Kennebec County District Attorney Maeghan Maloney (D), a relatively well-known far-left prosecutor and Democrat Party loyalist
Maloney had, Rollins claimed, checked for him and told him that he never faced any charges or criminal complaints—an odd query for Rollins to make, given that no one, not Pam Dumas nor the Maine Wire, had suggested that the police or a prosecutor had ever been involved.
According to Rollins, Maloney revealed further information to him that underscored about Pam Dumas’s video was part of a Republican dirty tricks operation — an operation that Maloney, from her position as DA, had seen firsthand unfolding in other central Maine races.
Maloney, Rollins said, told him that there were “various allegations being brought at this hour by the Republicans.”
(In an email, Maloney confirmed she had never received a criminal case against Rollins, but she declined to comment further on the conversation Rollins described.)
“The source is the Attorney General. I mean, the District Attorney, so if you want to interview her about what races, that’s fine,” he said.
“There are several other allegations, general allegations, going on against other candidates, that are, um, being launched by the opposing party,” said Rollins, adding that Maloney was aware of these allegations and had told him about them.
When pressed further on the nature of the information Maloney conveyed to him, including whether she shared information about pending investigations, Rollins modified his claim to suggest Maloney’s comments were more general and not specific to any candidate or race.
“She made a comment that, you know, it was in the context of, and we both are sad for our country, that this is what’s going on,” he said. “And it’s a very appropriate comment. And it’s not any behind the scenes, stirring up porridge.”
“It was a general conversation and she mentioned that I’m not the only one going through this,” Rollins said.
When asked why Rollins re-telling of his conversation with Maloney shifted from specific allegations that mirrored what he was facing to more general lamentations about the state of politics, Rollins’ attitude soured.
“I’m sorry that I tried to talk to you about this, because it feels like to me you want to do a hit piece in the worst way,” he said.
“I couldn’t be more any genuine talking with you, and not you, know, threatening you, commenting on you,” said Rollins.
Asked why he would bring up his charitable restraint in not threatening a journalist, Rollins implied that less honorable men might resort to such tactics.
“A lot of people would,” he said.
He Said, She Said
One day after the interview, Rollins took to Facebook with a lengthy, typo-ridden statement in an apparent attempt to get ahead of the story, a post which caused Pam Dumas to post the full video to her own Facebook page.
Rollins addressed his post to all of his “SUPPORTORS” and made further claims about Dumas’s allegations.
“Yesterday a reporter from the Maine Wire, a very right-wing newspaper, contacted me,” Rollins wrote. “The reporter asked me if I wanted to meet to discuss a scandalous video he had, which was going to come out one way or the other.”
“In the video a local woman claims she caught me looking in her bathroom window,” he said.
“The alleged incident which occurred 14 years ago as I was out knocking on doors, running for re-election for city council with the then mayor, never happened,” said Rollins.
As with our in-person interview and multiple phone calls, Rollins — unprompted — brought up the litany of other allegations that have swirled about him over the years and disparaged the political machinations of those who would accuse him of sexual misconduct.
Rollins’ Facebook friends rushed to his defense with scorching condemnations of dirty tricks from right-wing operatives and the “very right-wing Maine Wire.”
“It is outragious (sic). But what else do they have going for them?” said Cecile F. Eisenhart.
“You’re headed in the right direction I’m a believer my friend!” said Roger Gagne.
“I know the caliber of a man you are,” soothed Michael Marr. “I have seen you and many of our native Augusta all my life. Different politics hasn’t and doesn’t make enemies or indecencies to one another. Sometimes it’s checking it at the door.”
“Sorry you have to deal with that Dave. What’s the old saying people suck,” commented Peter Dunham.
“Misinformation, lying and slander is so dangerous,” opined Ann Smith. “This should be outlawed.”
“You’re a stand up guy and your character absolutely shines through. To hell with the lies and negativity!” said Amy Roeder.
“This is what Trump is telling people to do, it’s ridiculous behavior and not except able (sic),” said John Bell.
Perhaps, most poignant of all, was a comment from Maeghan Maloney.
“Our community is a better place for all you do—thank you!”, she said. “They only lie about you because you are winning. ‘Haters gonna hate…Shake it off’.”
Rollins did not respond to text messages this week asking him why Bill Stokes did not recall the incident with Pam Dumas.
5 days left to freedom
More evidence than E. Jean Carroll’s claim.
Sounds like Rollins (The Next Big Thing) has proffered the Tampon Tim defense; ‘my outgoing personality has caused a slippage of the tongue on occasion”.
Who in their right mind would peeping tom a woman that old and fat and ugly?
All Democrats are perverts and reprobates.
Waaaah-waaaah You can’t do what we do to you.
How do you know when a democrat is lying? (rhetorical)
Overkill in the article. He said she said. Too minor an issue to bother with. It’s like forgetting to zip up your fly – its a nothing burger.
I have no idea about this. What I do know is that snakes slither. That’s what snakes do.
Democrats are always deemed innocent..
BELIEVE ALL WOMEN!!!! (Mantra of the liberal women).