ELLSWORTH — The Maine Education Association (MEA) Benefits Trust has had second thoughts about disclosing detailed information regarding its administrative expenses. In financial statements provided to the Legislature’s Education Committee last month, the Trust reported that administrative payments to the Maine teachers’ union, formally known as the Maine Education Association (MEA), had increased 80 percent in 2010.

The union received $901,796 under an administrative services agreement, up from $516,405 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009.

Following an Education Committee session at the Statehouse on April 15, Christine Burke, director of the Benefits Trust, agreed orally to provide this newspaper with financial information supporting the sudden and substantial increase in the union’s annual payment for supplying workspace, computers, communications and other office services for Trust employees.

The Trust has four full-time employees, according to its Form 550 for 2009 — the most current information available — filed with the Internal Revenue Service.

A follow-up mailing to Burke on April 20 requested comparable information about those expenses. On April 27, Burke replied that “David Wakelin, our outsourced legal counsel, feels that we are under no obligation to share our contract with you or your newspaper. The contract is between two private entities. The fact that we have a contract with MEA for administrative services and the amount of the contract is listed on our public reports. This is all we are required to make public.”

The Portland law firm of Wakelin, Hallock and Donovan was paid attorneys’ fees of $105,151 for the year ending June 30, 2009, according to the Trust’s Form 550.

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