Campaign financing
- Campaign finance violators charged by state.
- Sun, 1 Feb 2006 (AP).
. . . Twenty-three individuals were charged with criminal violations in papers filed in Anne Arundel County District Court. Each was charged with one count of failing to file timely campaign finance reports to the State Board of Elections. The offense carries a maximum penalty of one year in jail and a $25,000 fine.
At least two of those charged, Greenbelt accountant Shailender K. Gupta and Mitchellville businessman Wilbert Wilson, have close ties to Prince George's County Executive Jack B. Johnson. Gupta was Johnson's campaign manager in 2002, and Wilson is chairman of Johnson's 2006 campaign committee, according to The Washington Post.
Gupta told the AP he already has paid a $250 fine to settle the charges.
Wilson couldn't be reached for comment; there is no telephone listing for his home or his Largo business, Future-Tech Management Systems.
- State prosecutor cracks down on campaign finance abuses; Jack Johnson linked to two men charged.
- Examiner, 2 Feb 2006 (by Anna Bailey, Examiner Staff Writer).
- Wilson had two $100,000 contracts with the county to help develop an economic development plan based on monitoring trends.
- The county has not released the work product of Wilson's contracts, although public information requests were filed more than a month ago, the allotted time by law to answer such requests.
The Maryland state prosecutor has filed criminal charges against 23 campaign officials, including the treasurer and chairman of two separate fundraising accounts for Prince George's County Executive Jack Johnson.
[. . .]
Johnson's campaign finance managers, who face up to one year in jail and a $25,000 fine, are Shailender Gupta and Wilbert Wilson.
Gupta is the treasurer of Friends of Jack Johnson and the Vision for 2006 Slate, fundraising accounts in which Johnson is a member. Wilson is the chairman of the Vision for 2006 Slate.
Johnson spokesman John Erzen declined comment on the charges.
[. . .]
Wilbert Wilson
Wilbert Wilson's name has surfaced recently in relation to a state prosecutor's investigation into contract-related improprieties in Prince George's County.[Full story].
Other
- Civic leaders attend conference.
- Gazette, 2 Feb 2006 (by Lester J. Davis, Staff Writer).
Prince George’s County Council member Samuel H. Dean delivered an update on District 6 to dozens of civic leaders on Saturday. . . .Since being elected in 2002 Dean said he has ‘‘attempted to meet [regularly] with my community leaders ... to have a dialogue,” said Dean during Saturday’s gathering. ‘‘Even as elected officials we don’t have all the answers.”
- Air pollution measure backed.
- Sun, 2 Feb 2006 (by Tom Pelton, Sun Reporter).
After opposing a similar bill last year, the Ehrlich administration said yesterday that it will support legislation to reduce air pollution as long as it does not limit global warming gases and isn't too strict about mercury emissions.
But a lead sponsor of the Healthy Air Act, state Sen. Paul G. Pinsky, said he would not accept amendments to weaken the bill from an administration that was "shameful" in lobbying with the power industry to kill the legislation last spring.
"We are not dropping the carbon dioxide limits as the administration wants," said Pinsky, a Democrat from Prince George's County. "If we don't do something about carbon dioxide, the Eastern Shore will be under water in 100 years because of global warming and sea level rise."
[More].
- House passes first lobbying changes; Ex-members on K Street banned from floor.
- Sun, 2 Feb 2006 (by Gwyneth K. Shaw, Sun reporter).
. . . Rep. Albert R. Wynn, a Democrat from Prince George's County, voted against [the restrictions]. Wynn's office did not respond to a request for comment last night.
- Prince George’s unexpectedly cool to Duncan.
- Gazette, 3 Feb 2006 (by Thomas Dennison, Staff Writer).
. . . Today, Duncan has yet to corral a single endorsement from the influential Prince George’s Senate delegation, save for that of Sen. Gwendolyn T. Britt (D-Dist. 47) of Landover Hills, who is often mentioned as a potential Duncan running mate.
[. . .]
The silence from the senators ‘‘is an indication of three issues — validity, fund-raising and competitiveness,” said Senate Budget and Taxation Committee Chairman Ulysses Currie (D-Dist. 25) of Forestville, one of Brown’s mentors. ‘‘Certainly, having Anthony on the ticket is also important for [O’Malley].”
Sen. Gloria B. Lawlah echoed Currie’s comments.
[. . .]
Duncan’s problems with Currie, Lawlah and other senators pale in comparison to the recent run-in he had with Sen. Nathaniel Exum (D-Dist. 24) of Capitol Heights.
At a Jan. 15 fund-raiser in Bowie for Prince George’s County Sheriff Michael Jackson, Exum confronted Duncan about giving Jackson a donation, said one eyewitness who asked not to be identified. The discussion grew testy, and Duncan left, furious at the way Exum treated him, the source said.
[. . .]
Asked about the incident this week, Exum said he would not talk about it.
[. . .]
Del. Carolyn J.B. Howard (D-Dist. 24) of Landover, a Duncan supporter, said she has heard about the incident, but refused to comment on ‘‘rumors.”
She speculated that things were being blown out of proportion.
Lawlah, who did not attend Jackson’s event, said Duncan may not be familiar with how things are done in Prince George’s.
‘‘You have to pay to play,” she said.
E-mail to Del. Vaughn bouncing, 1 Feb 2006.
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