The staff of the state ethics commission is alleging that former state Rep. William Walcott of Lewiston, a Democrat who resigned last month, misspent the money he received from the state's Clean Election Fund for his successful 2006 re-election bid.

Walcott got $4,874 from the state and initially reported $2,933 in campaign expenditures. But he later acknowledged that all of his reported expenditures were false and that he spent no money on his campaign, according to the agenda for the Sept. 21 meeting of the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices.

The commission's staff is recommending that the commission refer the matter to the Office of the Attorney General for possible prosecution. The commission oversees public financing for legislative and gubernatorial candidates under the state's Clean Election Act.

It remains unclear how Walcott spent the state's money, but he has returned the full $4,874 to the ethics commission, according to Paul Lavin, a staffer there. Walcott resigned from the Legislature Aug. 24, citing time commitments.

He could not be reached for comment Friday.