ELLSWORTH — A former U.S. Senate candidate is accused of pointing a gun at a former campaign staffer in a dispute over a cryptocurrency investment, according to court documents.

The allegations are included in a protection order brought against businessman Max Linn by a former assistant, Matt McDonald, the Bangor Daily News reported. A temporary protection order was granted Wednesday.

Max Linn, a former U.S. Senate candidate, photographed in January 2021 in Augusta. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

Linn became known for his debate antics during the 2020 Senate campaign in which he finished last behind Republican Sen. Collins, who won re-election, and Democrat Sara Gideon and independent Lisa Savage.

McDonald alleged in court documents that Linn gave him money to invest in cryptocurrency this year, but then Linn reversed course upon return from an overseas trip and sought to buy drugs falsely touted as COVID-19 cures. Linn pointed a gun in McDonald’s direction when the two met to try to resolve the dispute, McDonald said in the court filing.

“I went to court because I believe my family could be in danger,” McDonald told the Bangor Daily News.

Linn’s attorney, Steve Juskewitch, confirmed that Linn gave McDonald $225,000 to invest in cryptocurrency but denied that Linn threatened McDonald with a gun or sought to buy medicine or drugs.

Juskewitch called McDonald’s allegations against Linn a “pure fabrication to divert attention from the cryptocurrency dispute.”

Linn garnered attention in the Senate debates in 2020, telling a moderator “request denied!” when asked to stay on subject.

He made news several years earlier over fraudulent signatures used in a previous attempt to get on the ballot. Before that, he lived in Florida, where he ran for several offices.