Photo: Joe Phelan/The Kennebec Journal via AP
Linn, who ran for a seat on the U.S. Senate in 2020 as a conservative Independent, was a retired financial planner and Bar Harbor resident.
Linn finished that race in last place, running as a supporter of former Republican PresidentDonald Trumpafter having moved to Maine from Florida nearly 5 years prior.
The news of Linn’s death comes on the heels of a dispute with former campaign staffer, Matt McDonald. Linn is accused of pulling out a gun on McDonald in October during a dispute about cryptocurrency, theBangor Daily Newsreported.
McDonald requested a protection order against Linn following the alleged incident, the news outlet added, noting that a November court date for the case was postponed.
McDonald chose to withdraw the protection order in December. Throughout the ordeal, Linn denied the accusations.
Linn made headlines for other reasons, as well, with his former aide saying the candidate was the first known person in Maine to catch COVID-19 after taking a trip to Wuhan, China in late December of 2019, theSun Journalreported.
“He brought COVID to Maine,” said McDonald per theSJ. “He was patient zero.”
Linn was not considered a typical candidate, often attracting attention for colorful behavior, such as when he cut up a face mask during a televised debate, theSun Journalreported. While debating as a Senate candidate, he also made headlines for refusing to answer a moderator’s question, instead shouting, “request denied.”
He initially got into politics as a businessman in Florida. His failed 2020 bid for Senate came two years after he ran for the same seat in 2018 and was disqualified following accusations of including fraudulent signatures on his ballot access petitions.
He also ran unsuccessful bids for both Congress and governor in Florida, and has at times also run as a Democrat.
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After losing the Senate race in Maine, Linn still remained politically involved and was among those who gathered outside the U.S. Capitol in January, to support Trump’s claims that the election had been stolen from him.
“We honestly felt, no matter how crazy it sounds, that it would be a victory party,” Linn told theSJin an interview shortly after the Capitol riots.
source: people.com
