Currie Defense Fund

Backers Start Currie Defense Fund.
Post, 10 Feb 2009 (Helderman).

Supporters of Sen. Ulysses Currie [ D-25] have launched a legal fund to help the Prince George's Democrat pay the cost of defending himself in an ongoing federal probe of his consulting work for Shoppers Food and Pharmacy.

Lawyer and pastor Bobby G. Henry Jr., a lead organizer of the effort, said the Currie Defense Fund was formed to give friends of the senator a way to help underwrite his legal fees. Currie has retained two prominent attorneys to represent him in the case, which became public in May when the FBI raided the senator's District Heights home and the Lanham headquarters of the grocery chain.

Currie had been paid more than $207,000 by the grocer since 2003, income he did not disclose on state ethics forms. Documents and interviews indicated that he intervened repeatedly with state agencies on issues of interest to the company.
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The fund was formed in December and a Web site was launched for it late last month, Henry said. The timing of the launch drew some questions yesterday because it was near the Jan. 14 start of the General Assembly's legislative session. Lawmakers are barred from campaign fundraising during the session to avoid the impression that political donations could cultivate legislative favor.
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He said the fund's trustees, who include Larry Jordan, a bishop at the Believers Worship Center in Prince George's, and pastor and accountant Vanetta L. Brice, will make lists of donors regularly available to the public. He said the first list should be available in two to three weeks.

Old Friend Heads Currie Defense Fund.
Maryland Moment, 10 Feb 2009 (Helderman ).

This morning, we reported on the creation of the legal defense fund to support Sen. Ulysses Currie. A website has been created for the fund.

The organization's leader is Bobby Henry , an attorney who is now representing the family of Ronnie White, an inmate found struggled to death in his cell at the Prince George's jail in June, hours after he was charged with killing a county police officer. [More ]

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(Posted 10 Feb 2009)