The Associated Press is reporting a complaint has been filed with the state ethics commission against the Portland Press Herald for contributing some $47,000 worth of free advertising to a political campaign last year.

Thomas Valleau, an opponent of the successful charter change referendum to create an elected mayor in Portland, is asking the commission whether the donation to the Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce violates state law. The chamber turned the ad space over to a political action committee supporting the elected-mayor change.

The Press Herald never informed its readers of its gift to the campaign. Nor have the paper’s executives commented since the story broke last month, after the donation was discovered in a footnote in the pro-elected mayor PAC’s finance report.

Al Diamon can be e-mailed at aldiamon@herniahill.net.

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