UPDATE: Dan Bongino Not Seeking Anne Arundel Executive Vacancy // Former Senate Candidate Still Running for Gov?

Earlier today Maryland Juice noted that supporters of Dan Bongino were lobbying for him to replace John Leopold as Anne Arundel County Executive. We published an email message that urged supporters of the former GOP Senate nominee to contact members of the Anne Arundel Council in support of Bongino.

But only three hours later, Bongino posted a message on his Facebook page indicating that he's not interested in serving as Anne Arundel County Executive (Hat tip: Red Maryland). Should we presume the message below means Bongino will be continuing his campaign for Governor?

Friends & Supporters,

Paula and I cannot thank you enough for your support and encouragement, both during and after the election. Although the results were not what we intended, I am proud of what we accomplished and honored to remain in the fight.

I would like to update you on rumors you may have heard about my interest in the Anne Arundel County Executive position and the MDGOP Chairman position. I will not be seeking either position at this time, although I am extremely grateful to all of those who emailed and called in their support to a number of elected officials.

Regarding the decision making process for the vacant Anne Arundel County Executive position, I have chosen to disengage from a process that has become weighted towards insider politics. This County needs a reformer, not an insider, and any illusions otherwise are driven by a political agenda and not the sentiments of actual voters on the ground.

Regarding the MDGOP Chairmanship, although I respect the MDGOP Party infrastructure for their recent outreach initiatives and I feel the Party is headed in a better direction, I have chosen to take my platform and my commitment to a Maryland government that is citizen-centric, rather than insider-driven, to the people via a continued, robust grassroots effort.

Very Respectfully, 

Dan

More on the 2014 Governor's race soon!

JuiceBlender: Alex Mooney Resigns as MD GOP Chair But Still Eyes Congress, Supporters Push Bongino for Anne Arundel Exec

PLUS: MARYLAND JUICE ENDORSES BLAINE YOUNG FOR 2014 GOP GOVERNOR

The Internet is abuzz with evidence that the Maryland Republican Party is undergoing growing shrinking pains. Below Maryland Juice highlights several tidbits relating to the evolution of the Free State GOP:

JUICE #1: MARYLAND GOP CHAIR ALEX MOONEY RESIGNS, MAY CHALLENGE REP. JOHN DELANEY - The conservative gents at the Red Maryland blog are declaring victory over embattled GOP Chair Alex Mooney. Citing numerous gripes with Chairman Mooney, they called on him to resign last November:

P. Kenneth Burns' Maryland Politics Blog provided details on the resignation, which popped up on the public radar via a letter posted on Facebook (excerpt below):

P. KENNETH BURNS: According to a posting on Del. Mike Smigiel’s facebook page, former Frederick County Senator Alex Mooney has resigned as chairman of the Maryland Republican Party. Here is the letter posted on Smigiel’s page:

David Ferguson
Executive Director
Maryland Republican Party

Saturday, February 9, 2013

Dear Republican Central Committee Member:

It has been an honor and privilege to serve as your Chairman of The Maryland Republican Party (MDGOP) these past two years and two months. After twelve years in the state senate immediately followed by two years as MDGOP Chairman, it is time for me to pursue other ventures.

Therefore, I plan to send in my official letter of resignation as Chairman by March 1st, and I wanted to make my intentions known now so that appropriate plans can be made. 

According to our bylaws, this will allow for the election of a new Chairman on April 20th....

Sincerely,

Alex X. Mooney

The Washington Post also reported yesterday that Alex Mooney has not ruled out a future run for the 6th Congressional District seat currently held by Rep. John Delaney (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Last year, Mooney considered running for the 6th congressional district seat held at the time by then-Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.) — but ultimately backed off.

During the meeting with GOP leaders on Saturday, Mooney said he would not rule out seeking the seat at some point in the future, according to a participant....

JUICE #2: DAN BONGINO SUPPORTERS LOBBY FOR HIS APPOINTMENT TO ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY EXECUTIVE, BUT EHRLICH'S WIFE WANTS THE JOB  - This weekend WMAR reported that former GOP Gov. Bob Ehrlich's wife wants to be appointed to the open Anne Arundel County Executive's office (Hat tip: Maryland Reporter). Meanwhile, a Maryland Juice reader sent us evidence of former U.S. Senate candidate Dan Bongino's supporters asking people to vote for him in online polls. But more interesting is their lobbying for Bongino's appointment to the open Anne Arundel County Executive's post. Check out the two items below (excerpt below):

WMAR: She is the former first lady, but Kendel Ehrlich wants to be the front woman.  Ehrlich has her eyes set on the Office of Anne Arundel County executive, a seat that opened when John Leopold resigned following a guilty verdict.

"I just think it's significant that I'm a woman after many things that we've read about the prior administration.  I just think the women in the county would breathe, it would be a big breath of fresh air," said Ehrlich....

As for 2014, Ehrlich is adamant about not running for office.   She says her only interest is to restore dignity to Anne Arundel County for the rest of this term....

Below you can also read a forwarded February 9th email from Anne Arundel supporters of Dan Bongino:

From: "XXXXX" <annearundelforbongino@XXXXX>
Subject: Fwd: What's your opinion?

Friends,

The email attached below contains 2 links to polls here in Maryland. I encourage all of you to take both polls.... One question, one simple answer.... Daniel Bongino....

Also, we want to mobilize this weekend on the with emails and phones for Dan to "lobby" for this appointment by the Anne Arundel County Council to replace John Leopold.  They must name a replacement within 30 days.  However, I suspect that they may try to name a replacement much earlier than the deadline.

That is why we must get on the phone and get busy immediately. I am including a link here: http://www.aacounty.org/CountyCouncil/generalInformation.cfm

This link will direct you to the Anne Arundel County Council General Information page. From this page you can look up who your County Councilman is if you aren't sure, as well as contact info such as email addresses and a general phone number you can call.

Do both - email your Councilman and call the general number and leave a message.  I would also take the extra initiative and get personal phone numbers if you can to call and speak directly to your Councilman if you are able to do so.

It is OK to put pressure on them to cast their vote for Dan Bongino for the position. If you get feedback from them such as: "Well......there are a lot of good candidates that are running that we will look at and we will consider Dan for the position."

Don't take that answer from them.......TELL them you want Dan and no other to be named as the replacement. Tell them, also, that you are a faithful voter who never misses a mid-term election.  You are counting on them to do the right thing by placing Dan as County Executive replacement for John Leopold.  You will not take no for an answer!

Something like that.......don't be afraid to be firm.  They need to know that Dan still has a fantastic Team of supporters and that we are and will continue to be a force in Anne Arundel County elections!....

Let's get busy and make this happen for Dan ASAP.......please reply to me to let me know you have emailed and called your Count Councilman.

Please maintain email security and Bcc; when you forward this.

Blessings to all and thank you so much,

XXXX XXXX

"Because it's your money, our freedom and our children's future!" ~ Daniel Bongino (R-MD)

JUICE #3: MARYLAND JUICE ENDORSES BLAINE YOUNG FOR GOP GUBERNATORIAL NOMINATION // WHO BEST TO REPRESENT THE MADNESS - Numerous characters have announced they are contemplating a run for the GOP's gubernatorial nomination in 2014. But no Republican candidate has captured the attention of Maryland Juice in quite the way Frederick County Tea Partier Blaine Young has been able to. That's why today we are officially announcing our endorsement of Young for the Republican nomination in 2014.

Young previously made national news after his name appeared in a Madam's "black book." Since then he's doubled-down on his tabloid-style politics by embracing mean-spirited legislation like "English-only" laws for Frederick County. But Blaine Young's latest incident was the final proof we needed that the loudmouth politician would practically guarantee a Democratic governor in 2014. The Frederick News Post reported two weeks ago that Blaine Young was temporarily suspended from his duties as a youth basketball coach for cursing out a teenager who was serving as a volunteer referee:

FREDERICK NEWS POST: Let's say you're a high-ranking elected official who coaches a youth basketball team in your off time. During a game, you don't like how the calls are going against your team. Do you:

(A) Let it go.

(B) Argue the calls with the referee, but in a respectful, professional manner.

(C) Berate and bully the teenage referee after the game, using language so foul it's unpublishable, and then play the victim by saying the only reason you were suspended by the league for your actions was because of who you are. To support the "victim defense" you also post comments by sympathetic friends on your Facebook page that in turn blame the media and critics for making you look bad.

If you're Frederick County Commissioners President Blaine Young, then of course you pick (C).

Young was suspended for one game by the Linganore, Oakdale, Urbana Youth Athletic Association for his actions after a Jan. 5 basketball game involving fifth- and sixth-graders -- including his own 12-year-old son.

We know there is always more to the story, but we can't imagine anything that would justify a grown man (he's 41) cursing at a 17-year-old New Life Christian Academy student over a youth basketball game.

And we're bothered that Young just doesn't seem to get it. "I'm old school, and when someone disrespects me, I let my feelings be known," Young told a Frederick News-Post reporter....

Blaine Young cursed out this teenage basketball referee

SHAMEFUL BEHAVIOR FROM BLAINE YOUNG  //  VICTIM'S MOM DEFENDS HER SON: According to news reports, Blaine Young later apologized for cursing out the minor, but not before he tried to blame it on the teenage referee. This prompted the young victim's mother to speak out in her son's defense in the Frederick News Post (excerpt below):

FREDERICK NEWS POST:  Stacy Allwein said her son, Michael, was not the aggressor in the Jan. 5 dispute, and the New Life Christian School senior reacted only after Young, 41, made an obscene comment....

"I was furious when it all happened," she said. "We decided to let it go. We wanted to set the right example for Michael." But after reading that Young told The News-Post the referee initiated the confrontation, Stacy Allwein decided to come forward.

"I just thought it was very arrogant and (Young) was twisting things to make himself look like a victim," Allwein said. "It just appeared he had ulterior political motives. Taking the blame off him and putting it on a 17-year-old...."

Allwein, who is in his first season as a referee for this league, will continue to work games, his mother said. Referees are paid less than $20 a game, according to a league official. Her son, who has played basketball since the first grade, is a starting guard on his high school team....

CONTROVERSY DRIVING BLAINE YOUNG TO FREDERICK COUNTY EXEC RACE INSTEAD OF GOVERNOR? - This controversy may help explain why Blaine Young is now downshifting expectations from his 2014 gubernatorial run. Recent news reports indicate that after denying any interest in running for Frederick County Executive, Young is now thinking about running for that office instead of Governor. That would be a damn shame, because Maryland Juice looks forward to months of Blaine Young on the statewide campaign trail!


JUICE #4: MARYLAND ON VERGE OF BECOMING A RED STATE (ACCORDING TO MARYLAND GOP)  //  BUT MOCO GOP AIMS FOR PURPLE - Yesterday the Maryland GOP held a party to celebrate Ronald "The Gipper" Reagan. Notably, the invitation to the "Reagan Ball" claimed that Maryland "is on the verge of becoming a red state...." The Montgomery County Republican Party, however, apparently has the largest number of registered Republicans in the state. In contrast with the state party, the MoCo GOP is not claiming that Maryland is turning red. Maryland Reporter today reports that they are instead focused on trying to make Montgomery County purple. See items on the Maryland GOP and MoCo GOP plans below:

Fellow Republicans, Maryland is on the verge of becoming a red state and we're ready to party! So join us at the 3rd Annual Reagan Ball as we the celebrate the legacy of America's greatest President, Ronald Reagan, and prepare for a future of strong growth and opportunity. The Reagan Ball will take place on Saturday, February 9th at the Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott City. Black tie is optional, plus you'll be able to indulge in sumptuous hors d'oeuvres and desserts while getting to know Republicans from across our great state. Tickets are going fast, so click here to RSVP! If you have any questions, please contact us by email here (lisaemarr@gmail.com) or by telephone at (410) 263-2125. We hope to see you there! Sincerely, Lisa -- Lisa Ellis Marr Finance Team Maryland Republican Party

In contrast to the Maryland Republican Party optimism, the MoCo GOP is setting its goals a bit closer to reality:

MARYLAND REPORTER: With the help of state party leaders and a lot of data, the Montgomery County Republican Party - which boasts the largest number of registered Republicans in the state - launched an all out ground game Saturday at their annual convention in Rockville.

Their goal in this targeted effort is to change Montgomery County from blue to purple by the 2014 election. "We are not going to get where we want to be with just Republicans," said Montgomery Republican Chairman Mark Uncapher. "We need to go after Independents and soft Democrats...."

Montgomery County’s 23-member state delegation and nine-member County Council are exclusively Democratic. But changing the landscape from a minority party to a majority party where Republicans can often be outnumbered by as much as 3-to-1, may not be the ultimate end game for the county or state party....

JUICE #5: NEWS ABOUT ANNE ARUNDEL EXECUTIVE JOHN LEOPOLD TRIGGERS CONDOM CATHETER ADS BY GOOGLE - Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold was recently convicted of misconduct relating to numerous abuses of power. These misdeeds included using police to spy on political opponents and forcing government employees to empty his urinary catheter bag. An amused Maryland Juice reader noted that readers of some news articles about Leopold's misconduct were being shown ads for "Condom Catheter Supplies." Check out the screencap below:

JuiceBlender: Valerie Ervin Builds MoCo Exec Team, Anne Arundel Exec John Leopold Suspended & Transgender Rights

The late Del. Hattie Harrison

PLUS: WHY IS DOUG DUNCAN HIDING?

Below Maryland Juice highlights a few items of interest to politicos....

But before we begin the JuiceBlender, we note the recent passing of Delegate Hattie Harrison, a Democrat representing District 45 in the Maryland House. Maryland Democratic Party Chair Yvette Lewis commented, "From her appointment 40 years ago until today, Delegate Harrison served the people of Maryland with grace, honor, and distinction.

Delegate Harrison's legacy will live on in the lives of the many people she inspired. As the longest serving member of the House of Delegates, she broke though barriers time and again, including becoming the first African American woman to chair a major committee."


JUICE #1:  MOCO COUNCILMEMBER VALERIE ERVIN BEGINS ASSEMBLING 2014 COUNTY EXECUTIVE CAMPAIGN TEAM  - The Washington Post's Bill Turque yesterday reported that Montgomery County Councilmember Valerie Ervin has begun assembling a team for a County Executive run in 2014. Among the revelations in the article are rumors that Ervin is working with O'Malley-Brown pollster Fred Yang and political consultant Martha McKenna (formerly of the DSSC and EMILY's List). Morever, Ervin stated she would run regardless of incumbent Executive Ike Leggett's decision on his future (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON POST: Montgomery County Council member Valerie Ervin, long mentioned as a possible candidate for county executive in 2014 , is moving closer to running. Ervin (D-Silver Spring) said she is in "serious discussions" with two national Democratic operatives, pollster Fred Yang and media consultant Martha McKenna, about roles in the campaign. Incumbent Isiah Leggett (D) has yet to announce whether he will seek a third term. But Ervin said if she runs, it will be regardless of whether Leggett is in or out....

MARC ELRICH WEIGHING POTENTIAL COUNTY EXECUTIVE CAMPAIGN - Though Valerie Ervin is not making a run for County Executive contingent on the actions of Ike Leggett, At Large Councilmember Marc Elrich is suggesting he may be a candidate if Leggett retires. After hearing rumors yesterday that Elrich had publicly discussed his possible bid, Maryland Juice asked Elrich about the race. Here's what he had to say:

MARC ELRICH: If Ike does not run, it is likely that I will, but I expect that he will decide to run again, in which case I'll support him.

PHIL ANDREWS BEGINS CANVASSING - Notably, The Washington Post article also took note of where MoCo Councilmember Phil Andrews was in his County Exec campaign: "Andrews said Monday that he doesn’t expect to hire either a pollster or media consultant. 'I’m out knocking on doors right now. That’s the best kind of poll to have,' he said." Coincidentally, two days ago a Maryland Juice reader contacted us on Twitter to report being door-knocked by Phil Andrews:

WHERE IS DOUG DUNCAN?: Perhaps driven by all of this chatter from County Executive candidates, The Baltimore Sun's John Fritze Tweeted an interesting question yesterday:

Indeed, former Exec Doug Duncan has been awfully quiet lately, after previously announcing he was running for MoCo Executive in 2014. Maryland Juice asked a source close to Duncan about this, and our contact stated that he was indeed still in the race. But that's not stopping reporters from wondering about Duncan's whereabouts. The Gazette's Kate Alexander today noted this abensence in an amusing article headlined, "Doug Duncan spent $33,000 to find out people remember him" (excerpt below):

GAZETTE: January campaign finance reports showed Duncan’s campaign paid $33,000 last May to Hickman Analytics of Chevy Chase for “cell and landline sample polling.”

When Duncan announced his race to supporters at a November breakfast, sources said he referenced a poll that showed him with favorable ratings....

Duncan, who has not responded to requests for comment since announcing his campaign, did not return calls seeking comment.

Hat tip: Maryland Reporter. Lastly, At Large Councilmember George Leventhal is also actively pursuing the County Exec office right now. Still no word from Ike Leggett!


JUICE #2:  ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY EXEC JOHN LEOPOLD FOUND GUILTY OF MISCONDUCT & SUSPENDED FROM OFFICE  - Maryland Juice previously discussed the bizarre saga surrounding Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold. The Republican politician has been under siege for months, due to accusations he misused the powers of his office in numerous ways -- including using police officers and government employees to: conduct political activities, enable affairs and sexual encounters, and even to dispose of his urine. But The Baltimore Sun reported yesterday that Leopold was found guilty of two counts of misconduct and was suspended from office (excerpt below):

BALTIMORE SUN: Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold has been suspended from office after being found guilty of two counts of misconduct Tuesday.

Circuit Court Judge Dennis M. Sweeney convicted the county executive for using his taxpayer-funded police protection detail to perform political duties and for requiring officers and an aide to empty the urinary catheter bag he used after back surgery.

County Attorney Jonathan A. Hodgson said Chief Administrative Officer John Hammond is now the acting county executive....

JUICE #3:  OVER TWENTY MARYLAND SENATORS CO-SPONSOR TRANSGENDER ANTI-DISCRIMINATION LAW // BILL POISED FOR PASSAGE  - After previously stalling in the Maryland State Senate, The Washington Blade yesterday reported that legislation to prohibit discrimination against transgender residents was introduced and already has over twenty co-sponsors (excerpt below):

WASHINGTON BLADE: Maryland lawmakers on Tuesday introduced a bill that would ban anti-transgender discrimination in the workplace, housing and public accommodations.

The Fairness for All Marylanders Act of 2013 that gay state Sen. Rich Madaleno (D-Montgomery County) and state Sen. Jamie Raskin (D-Montgomery County) introduced has more than 20 co-sponsors. These include state Sen. Allan Kittleman (R-Howard County.)....

Metro Weekly followed up with coverage indicating that the bill may now be on track for passage (excerpt below):

METRO WEEKLY: This new bill will first receive a hearing in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee sometime in the next month, after which the committee is expected to approve it and send it to the floor for a vote, if Miller consents. Advocates are confident they have the requisite number of votes needed to pass it in the upper chamber. It would then go to the House, where it is expected to pass easily....

JUICE #4:  ACTIVISTS PETITION LEGISLATURE FOR EQUAL FUNDING FOR MARYLAND'S HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES  - A few activists and organizations have contacted Maryland Juice regarding a renewed effort to seek equal funding for HBCU's in the Free State. The coalition of groups involved in the effort circulated the following action alert via BEST Democratic Club (excerpt below):

MARYLAND BLACK CAUCUS: On February 4, 2013 more than 2,000  students and supporters of Maryland’s four Historically Black Colleges and Universities – including Morgan State University, Bowie State University, Coppin State University, and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore - will converge on the Maryland State House to lobby legislators for increased funding to support these historically underfunded universities....

Click Here to sign the petition to urge Governor O'Malley to stand with Maryland's HBCUs then share it with your friends

As part of the Caucus’ push, they are calling on Governor O’Malley to find a just end to the six-year legal battle between the Coalition for Excellence in Higher Education in Maryland, which represents the Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and the Maryland Higher Education Commission and the State of Maryland.

Additionally, given that both parties have indicated that they would seek an appeal should they not prevail in the lawsuit, which could result in an additional six years of litigation, the Caucus is asking that Governor O’Malley provide for a special appropriation of $14 million per year in funding over the next five years, beginning in 2014....

A diverse coalition of groups supports this call to action. The initiative is backed by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), CASA de Maryland, B.E.S.T. Democratic Club, Maryland Young Democrats, and the Sierra Club.

Anne Arundel Councilmember Jamie Benoit Announces Retirement from Public Life in 2014 // No Run for Executive

Back to civilian life for Councilmember Jamie Benoit.

BENOIT: "Elect people competent to run our County government"

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST - Maryland Juice received the following email from Anne Arundel County Councilmember Jamie Benoit announcing his retirement from public office in 2014. Benoit, a Democrat representing District 4 on the County Council, also specified that he would not be running for County Executive or other office. His message did, however, leave open the possibility of a return to office in 2018:

JAMIE BENOIT: I am writing today because I count you among my friends. I am grateful for the support and guidance you have given to me since I took office 6 years ago. Over the past few months, many people have urged me to stay in elective office. Not at all satisfied with the candidates running for County Executive in 2014 or the state of affairs in our County today, I have spent several months considering a run of my own.

SOURCE: Tax Cut Plan for Maryland Casinos Caused Breakdown in Gambling Expansion Negotiations // A 2-Year Reprieve?

BREAKING: No Special Gambling Session // Workgroup Fails to Reach Deal on PG Casino, Table Games

A moment ago, The Real Prince George's blog reported that Maryland's special "gambling workgroup" failed to reach a deal to resolve several key issues (excerpt below):

REAL PG BLOG: ...After weeks of public and behind closed doors meetings, the commission has indeed failed to reach consensus on what plan could pass both houses....

A knowledgeable Maryland Juice source has verified this news and provides additional detail:

ANONYMOUS SOURCE: "Members of the workgroup from the House of Delegates weren't willing to decrease the taxes on casino owners...."

Ultimately, this raises the likelihood that further discussion on gaming expansion will be deferred for two years, as the issues (if agreed upon) will ultimately be put before voters in a referendum.

BACKGROUND: If you're just now tuning in to the gambling debate, here are a few details about what's going on. When the legislature ended its session this April, the Assembly punted a decision on how and whether to expand gambling in Maryland. They came back for a special session to deal with budget issues, but left undecided whether or not to hold a third special session to discuss expanding gambling.

Governor O'Malley subsequently created a special workgroup to debate gaming expansion in Maryland, and he indicated that he would not push for a third legislative session this year, unless the workgroup members were able to reach a deal. Some of the key points they were debating were:

1. Whether to allow Las Vegas-style table games at our five planned slot machine barns
2. Whether to add a sixth casino at Prince George's County's National Harbor site
3. Whether to give casino operators a larger share of slot machine revenue/cut their taxes

Notably, Maryland Juice reported last week that a Virginia anti-tax group sent direct mail attacking the idea of tax cuts for casinos. The piece was mailed across the state, and several legislators have reported receiving numerous calls and emails on the topic. A few politicos have theorized that rival casino operators may have financed the mail-piece, but we have no way of knowing that yet. But if that turns out to be true: well-played.

LISTEN: Police Launch Radio Ads Against Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold // Disgraced GOP Leader Abused Power

Local news outlets are reporting that the labor union representing Anne Arundel County police is launching a radio campaign against disgraced County Executive John Leopold. The Republican County leader is currently under investigation after allegations emerged that he used County Police to spy on his political enemies, change his urinary catheters and aid in his sexual conquests - Read the Indictment Online.

Numerous groups have called on GOP Exec. John Leopold to resign, along with Police Chief James Teare. The union representing Anne Arundel's cops (IBPO) is now airing radio ads on the matter. Hometown Annapolis today reported:

The union that represents most of the county’s sergeants and lieutenants began running radio ads today in support of Anne Arundel County Deputy Police Chief Emerson Davis.

Davis, the department’s second-in-command, testified before the County Council last week on allegations related to the indictment of County Executive John R. Leopold.

Meghan Walsh, a spokeswoman for the Washington, D.C., office of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers, or IBPO, said the ads will run several times a day for several days on three Baltimore-based radio stations: WPOC 93.1 FM, WQSR 102.7 FM and WCAO 600 AM....

Leopold was indicted last month on five counts of misappropriation and misconduct. The indictment alleged he used the police officers assigned to his security detail for personal and political reasons.

The indictment also alleges that police officers went to Police Chief James Teare Sr. with complaints, but Teare took “no effective action.” Teare has not been charged with any wrongdoing.

The Baltimore Sun shortly followed up, noting that IBPO replaced the original ad mentioned in Hometown Annapolis with a new version:

The union that represents high-ranking police officers in Anne Arundel County has dropped the name of the force's second-in-command from a radio ad that criticizes the county's executive and chief of police. 

The International Brotherhood of Police Officers, which represents Anne Arundel's police lieutenants and sergeants, originally planned to run an ad that promoted Deputy Police Chief Lt. Col. Emerson C. Davis as having taken a "brave stand" by testifying in front of the County Council about alleged improprieties by his superiors. 

The rewritten one-minute radio spot now calls for County Executive John Leopold and Police Chief Col. James E. Teare Sr. to vacate office until charges against Leopold are resolved, according to a statement Thursday from the union.

Maryland Juice has obtained copies of both radio ads, which we replay below. Note, we added some visuals to the raw audio tapes, using screencaps of the WILD indictment charges against John Leopold.

NEW RADIO AD


 ORIGINAL RADIO AD

FINALLY: Anne Arundel Council Elects Marine Corps Reservist Peter Smith to Fill District 1 Vacancy // Dick Ladd Changes Vote

Maryland Juice is pleased to announce that Anne Arundel's District 1 County Council seat is no longer vacant. Four Councilmembers tonight voted to fill the vacant Democratic seat with Marine Corps Reservist Peter Smith. The weeks-long spectacle to replace former Councilmember Daryl Jones brought out embarrassing and racially offensive comments from members of the Council. While they spent weeks trying to prevent Pete Smith, a qualified African American, from serving with them -- they made comments about "gooks," called Glen Burnie a "ghetto," and otherwise insulted the diverse communities in Anne Arundel and Maryland.

Tonight that all ended, because the "gook" expert, GOP Councilmember Dick Ladd finally relented and switched his vote. Breaking the 3-3 stalemate, the vote was 4-2 tonight, to appoint Pete Smith. A reader sent in the following congratulatory Facebook & Twitter screencaps from Councilmember Smith's wife and the Anne Arundel County Dems:

The Edgewater-Davidsonville Patch provides details:

Severn resident Peter Smith was selected Monday night to replace imprisoned Daryl Jones on the Anne Arundel County Council.

Councilman Dick Ladd was the decisive vote after more than 100 deadlocked rounds of voting across four different council sessions....

Ladd, a Republican, said he was making the change "with much trepidation."

Congratulations!  Mr. Smith goes to Annapolis.

SARCASM: Anne Arundel County Council Deadlocked on Lunch Order // Council Vacancy Brings Embarrassment to County

UPDATE: The Baltimore Sun reports that Anne Arundel County is not the only County that is embarassing itself with its intellectual heft: GOP politicians in Queen Anne's, Frederick and Anne Arundel counties are all fans of making English the official language of their counties (whatever that means): 

Jose Soto doesn't pay attention to politics in Frederick County. He's new to town and spends much of his time working at an apple-processing plant in Pennsylvania. But he heard something a few weeks ago about the county making English its official language.

"I think it's a little racist," Soto said as he stopped by a Latino grocery store in Frederick before heading to work one afternoon last week. The 32-year-old was born in Guatemala and emigrated to Los Angeles as a child.

Eric Hartley, a writer for Hometown Annapolis, has created an amusing simulation of the Anne Arundel County Council ordering lunch. The column mocks the pathetic politicians who are demonstrating their immense mental prowess in their quest to stop a qualified African American Marine Corps reservist from serving on the Council (see excerpt below):

READ THE FULL COLUMN AT HOMETOWNANNAPOLIS.COM

SCENE: Council chambers, 12:49 p.m.

Derek Fink (chairman): We’re going to be here a while hearing these budget items. Let’s order something to eat, then we can get back to work.

John Grasso: OK, but no Mexico food.

Jamie Benoit: Dude. Not this again.

Grasso: Is it a crime that I want food I can pronounce in English? And made by hardworking Americans?

Benoit: No, but — (sighs) look, first of all, it’s Mexican food, not Mexico food. Second of all —

Jerry Walker: This is getting us nowhere. How about Chinese? Or Thai?

Grasso: I knew you were secretly a Democrat.

Fink: Or Japanese? There’s a good little sushi place that just opened in Glen Burnie.

Grasso: I’m not eating ghetto sushi.

Chris Trumbauer: That’s incredibly inappropriate. You represent Glen Burnie.

Dick Ladd: You know, we ate a lot of Asian food when I was in the Army. Rice is very filling. You need your energy when the gooks are coming at you.

Fink: Are you kidding me?

Anne Arundel County politicians are embarrassing the County!

Indicted Anne Arundel Exec John Leopold Spied on "Enemies" // Flashback to Ehrlich Spy Scandal, Democratic Complacency

The emerging story of Anne Arundel's recently indicted County Executive paints an embarrassing caricature of small-town political corruption in the Free State. Yesterday, we talked about how Anne Arundel's top Republican official John Leopold (aka "Indictment-Guy") allegedly forced on-duty police officers to:

1. deliver his campaign lawnsigns
2. aid and abet in his sexual conquests,
3. and even empty his urinary catheter bag (eww!)

POLICE MONITORING REVEALED: The Baltimore Sun today reports on more details within Mr. Leopold's indictment, including allegations that he used police to research and monitor his political enemies:

The indictment handed down Friday against Leopold, who is in his second term, accuses Leopold of requiring executive protection officers to assemble dossiers on people he considered to be political rivals. According to the document, those people included Joanna Conti, who unsuccessfully ran against him in 2010, Carl O. Snowden, who heads the state attorney general's civil rights office and is a local activist, and potentially others.

The indictment says Leopold's security detail "did not consider these people to be a security risk."

FLASHBACK TO THE EHRLICH ERA: This sounds eerily similar to GOP Governor Bob Ehrlich's spying scandal. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the details of that case, Adam Pagnucco of Maryland Politics Watch wrote a great deal about it. In short, during Mr. Ehrlich's tenure as one-term Governor of the Free State, State Police were used to spy on ordinary citizens engaged in ordinary political protest (ie: Quakers marching against the death penalty or young people protesting war). Only three-and-a-half years ago, Pagnucco commented on the need to reign in the government's abuses of power and willy-nilly attitude toward privacy:

Spygate is the ultimate example of big, arrogant government seeking power over law-abiding citizens. So we would expect the Free State’s conservatives to condemn it, right? Wrong....

Anne Arundel County Council Again Delays Filling Vacancy // English-Only Law Proposed, Withdrawn At Meeting

UPDATE: A Maryland Juice source indicates that there is more than meets the eye with the Anne Arundel vacancy story. Apparently, the race to succeed indicted County Executive John Leopold is fueling some of the madness. Our source notes: 

ANONYMOUS SOURCE: Supposedly there is a battle between two Republican members of the General Assembly, who are intertwined in the Anne Arundel Council vacancy issue. Delegate Steve Schuh and State Senator Ed Reily had been preparing to run for the term-limited Leopold seat in 2014. Leopold's indictment has sped things up. Schuh supports the African American and Reily supports the other guy.

DOUBLE-UPDATE: A Maryland Juice reader dropped an anonymous note in our e-suggestion box to clarify details about the 2014 battle for Anne Arundel County Executive:

ANONYMOUS READER: Your story about the behind the scenes lobbying for county exec is close but off. Del Steve Schuh is lobbying for [former State Senator] Mike Wagner, and his business partner Councilman Derek Fink is leading the internal effort to get Wagner on in an effort to solidify the seat for Schuh if Leopold steps down or is removed. [State Senator] Reily has only lobbied one Councilman, and that is Jerry Walker -- and he called on behalf of Schuh to recommend Wagner. When he realized that Schuh was trying to stack the deck, he stopped lobbying and to my knowledge had not lobbied any other Council Member.

Grasso is a puppet for Leopold even sticking up for him after the indictment. Ladd is a bumbling fool who the County Executive has bought with a promise to shift forward the funding for his beloved Severna Park High School if he sticks with Wagner. The other three are sticking with Pete Smith because they think he is the best candidate, and because they don't want the Indicted County Exec to get another vote on the council. Can't say that I blame them.

SOURCE: PHOTO FROM THE SUN'S LATEST ANNE ARUNDEL VACANCY COVERAGE.

BACKGROUND: Last night, the Anne Arundel County Council again failed to fill the District 1 vacancy on their body. As we've noted several times, three Republicans on the body are hell-bent on preventing a qualified Marine Corps reservist, Peter Smith, from serving alongside them. He happens to be African American. The currently indicted Republican County Executive John Leopold's former aide pushed a 70-year-old white, former State Senator into the race.

The pathetic spectacle of this vacancy process has witnessed all manner of racial and ethnic slime coming from some of the GOP members of the body. Councilmember Dick Ladd called Asians "gooks," while Councilmember John Grasso referred to Glen Burnie, Maryland as a "ghetto."

LATEST STATUS: The Baltimore Sun reports that last night, the County Council again failed to fill the vacancy:

After voting four times and remaining split 3-3 along partisan lines between candidates Peter I. Smith and Michael J. Wagner, the council voted unanimously to postpone another vote.

 Moreover, the body continues to focus on strange and symbolic priorities. Republican Councilmember Jerry Walker -- who is actually allied with the Democrats in trying to appoint Peter Smith to fill the vacancy -- last night proposed and then withdrew a bill that would make English the official language of Anne Arundel County. The Sun noted:

Indicted Anne Arundel Exec. John Leopold's Aide Pushed Former Senator for Council Vacancy // Police Seek Resignations

BACKGROUND: Maryland Juice has written a great deal about Anne Arundel County politics lately. This is owing mainly to the pathetic controversy over how to fill a vacancy on the County Council. The Democrats and one Republican are pushing to appoint a young, qualified African American Marine Corps reservist, while the remaining Republicans are pushing Michael Wagner, a 70-year-old, white, former State Senator.

Recent news coverage makes it appear as though former Senator Wagner was pushed into the race by allies of Anne Arundel County's Republican Executive John Leopold. Strangely, Wagner also seems to describe himself as out-of-touch with the District's voters. Notably, Wagner's political benefactor -- County Exec. Leopold -- is currently under indictment for shocking misuse of his public office (see below). Yesterday, The Baltimore Sun provided additional context on the race:

The council has been deadlocked in a 3-3 tie between two candidates: Peter I. Smith, a Defense Department budget manager and a Marine reservist from Severn who is African-American, and Michael J. Wagner, a former state senator from Ferndale, who is white....

Smith said he became interested in politics when he worked as a volunteer for former county Sheriff George F. Johnson, who ran unsuccessfully against County Executive John R. Leopold in 2006....

In his pitch for the seat, Wagner has said he was encouraged to apply by a former top aide to Leopold....

"I probably wouldn't have thought of it, to tell you the truth," said Wagner.... "I'm a conservative Democrat. I know a lot of the regular Democrats wouldn't be jumping for joy with me in there. They'd rather have a person who's stepping to their tune."

Smith, meanwhile, said he's anxious to get the matter settled. "I wish they would just give me an opportunity."

Meanwhile, The Tri-City Herald recently reported on the ridiculous details of County Executive Leopold's misuse of taxpayer resources:

A Maryland official was indicted Friday for misusing his police protection squad, including making them wait while he had sex with a county employee in parking lots, using the officers to conceal his affair and having them do errands such as emptying his urinary catheter bag, prosecutors said.

Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold was charged with four counts of misconduct in office and a count of fraudulent misappropriation by a fiduciary, state prosecutor Emmet Davitt announced Friday.

WJLA also notes that Leopold had police planting political lawnsigns for his campaign (really???):

Leopold, a Republican, allegedly used sworn, on-duty Anne Arundel County officers as political campaign workers who would regularly place and distribute campaign signs during the 2010 election, according to the state's attorney.

Today, the union representing Anne Arundel's police force is calling on John Leopold to resign. The Examiner's Jennifer Teates reports:

International Brotherhood of Police Officers, the union representing the sergeants and lieutenants of the Anne Arundel County Police Department, has followed up their recent “no confidence” vote with a call on Monday for County Executive John Leopold and Police Chief James Teare, Sr. to resign....

If county leaders do not take immediate action, officers fear a rise in crime and, according to the IBPO, “the waste of millions of dollars of taxpayer money to fix problems that could have been avoided with more prudent management....” 

"Our members thought the county executive made unsafe decisions about public safety before the indictment," said Paul J. Birks, IBPO national vice president, referring to the vote of no confidence the sergeants and lieutenants took in Leopold’s performance a week before the release of the indictment. "We're even more concerned now that Mr. Leopold will have the distraction of such serious legal troubles."

"If officers cannot trust their chief to protect them from the alleged abuse by a public official, then how can citizens trust the chief to protect them?" asked Birks.

Can the Anne Arundel County Council really appoint the hand-picked choice of an indicted politician to fill a vacancy?

Anne Arundel Democratic Central Committee Passes Resolution Backing Democrats' Council Choice & Vacancy Reforms

Yesterday, Maryland Juice cheered on the Anne Arundel Young Democrats for calling on the County Council to respect the democratic process and fill the District 1 County Council vacancy. As we previously noted, the County's good name has been dragged through the mud by Republican Councilmembers who are hell-bent on denying a qualified African American a seat on the Council.

Last night, the Anne Arundel Democratic Central Committee passed the following resolution calling on the Council to respect the judgment of the Democratic Councilmembers in replacing their colleague and seeking an end to the Council's role in filling future vacancies:

Anne Arundel Young Dems Call on Council to Fill Democratic Vacancy // Party Leaders Silent on "Gooks" & "Ghetto" Flap?

BACKGROUND: Maryland Juice has been writing about the pathetic spectacle in Anne Arundel County, where the six remaining members of the County Council are deadlocked in a 3-3 tie over how to fill a vacancy on the body. The seat was previously held by a Democrat who was booted for failing to pay his taxes. Since then, the Council has attempted to fill the vacancy but remains deadlocked over the issue of race -- after over 100 rounds of balloting. The Anne Arundel Young Democrats are now speaking out.

Anne Arundel GOP Pols Reveal More Stupidity In Effort To Keep All-White Council // Glen Burnie a "Ghetto" & "Gook" Not a Slur?

Last week, Maryland Juice highlighted the deplorable actions of three Republican Anne Arundel Councilmembers who are dead-set on maintaining a 100% white, male government. The three stooges forced over 100 rounds of balloting and resorted to racial slurs like calling Asians "gooks" in their shameful public meeting to fill a vacancy for the county's District 1 council seat. The council failed to come to a resolution on the matter and postponed further action until March.

Today, Maryland Reporter flagged follow-up coverage of this controversy, and it appears that the defiant GOP Councilmembers are just as tone-deaf and nasty as we had originally imagined. The Baltimore Sun reports that Councilmember Dick Ladd recently attended a community forum, where he was asked to explain his comments. His explanation was an utter failure -- since he said he doesn't find the word "gook" to be a slur -- and he ended up storming out of the meeting:

An Anne Arundel county councilman was peppered with questions Saturday about diversity on the all-white, all-male council — and criticized for his public use of a racial slur — before storming out of a community forum in Odenton...

Ladd was also asked to explain his use at a recent council meeting of a derogatory term for people of Asian descent....

Councilman John J. Grasso, a Glen Burnie Republican whose recent comments referring to Glen Burnie as "ghetto" were also questioned at the meeting, was invited to the forum but did not attend.

WOW: Anne Arundel Councilmember Dick Ladd Talks About "Gooks" While Trying to Create 100% White Male Government

[ WATCH WJZ TV COVERAGE ]

While Maryland was making history with marriage equality last week, Anne Arundel County was shaming itself with ridiculous racial shenanigans. The Baltimore Sun has a recap of the latest evidence of a disconnect in The Free State:

The council met Thursday night to fill the position vacated by former Councilman Daryl D. Jones, who began serving a five-month federal prison term last month. The 4 1/2-hour meeting was marked by shouting, a racial slur, accusations of bullying and a 3-3 deadlocked vote over two candidates.

Former state Sen. Michael J. Wagner of Ferndale and Marine reservist Peter I. Smith of Severn were selected as finalists among 10 Democratic applicants in a process that included 101 rounds of voting. The council ultimately voted to resume the process next week....

On Thursday, the fireworks started within the first 10 minutes of the meeting in downtown Annapolis.

Lewis A. Bracy, a retired federal worker who was one of 10 applicants for the seat, said he thought he should get the appointment, in part because "people in the county need to see a diverse person on the podium...."

Fink, who presides over the all-male and all-white body, was incredulous. "I can't believe that today I'm being asked to vote for someone … solely on diversity. It just blows my mind...."

While questioning a candidate with a military background, Councilman Richard B. "Dick" Ladd, a Broadneck Republican, used an ethnic slur to describe his service during the Vietnam War, saying, "I was there chasing down the gooks."

The comment elicited gasps from the audience assembled to watch the process play out.....

GOP Delegate Don Dwyer Will Abandon D31A House Seat in 2014 // Anne Arundel County Lawmaker Plans State Senate Run

UPDATE: Len Lazarick (who edits Maryland Reporter) had a column in The Business Monthly last November, where he discussed how the new state legislative districts could push a number of endangered lawmakers into the Anne Arundel County Executive's race. I guess we're seeing some of that playing out now!

When Maryland announced its proposed 2014 state legislative districts, one of our sources pointed out that GOP lawmaker Don Dwyer's new District 31A was now likely to elect a Democrat. Apparently, the incumbent agrees. Yesterday, Tim Pratt at The Capital Gazette reported that Del. Dwyer has moved out of D31A and has reiterated his intention to run for the District 31 State Senate seat in 2014:

What's clear is that Del. Don Dwyer, a conservative Republican, won't run in a new, more racially diverse district centered in Glen Burnie.

MD Redistricting: House Speaker Mike Busch Gets a New District // Anonymous Legislators on What It Means

On August 15th, Maryland Juice reported on rumors that House Speaker Mike Busch might seek a single-member-district. He is currently the sole Democrat, alongside two Republican Delegates, in a three-seat-district. With the release of Maryland's 2012 state legislative districts, it appears that the rumors were partially true. Mr. Busch will now serve in a more Democratic two-member district, while the Republicans appear to be concentrated in a new single member district 30B. Two Maryland legislators contacted us to highlight this new development. See Mr. Busch's new District 30A below, along with a view of his current D30:

Our two legislators also had the following anonymous comments:

Amtrak & Montgomery County Censorship News Takes Off // Plus, Howard & Anne Arundel Censor Based on Politics?

Concerns About Internet Censorship Spread from Montgomery County to Amtrak and then to Howard, Prince George's and Anne Arundel Counties 

UPDATE: The technology and information crusaders at Techdirt have picked up on the Amtrak/MoCo censorship doubleheader!

This month, Maryland Juice readers blew the whistle on Internet censorship in Montgomery County government buildings. The story started with reports of the County (aka Chairman MoCo) blocking employees from visiting an environmental site (FUH2.com). That snowballed into reports of numerous pro-LGBT websites (ie: Victory Fund, Metro Weekly, Seattle Gay News, etc) and even a seniors community calendar being blocked.

The story took a turn for the strange, when I was riding an Amtrak train and tried to use their Wifi connection to verify that Montgomery County's blocked LGBT sites were not pornography. Amazingly, Amtrak apparently also decided to censor their (brand new) Internet connections from sites like Seattle Gay News and the UK newspaper, The Guardian. The doubleheader MoCo/Amtrak censorship post has quickly become the most-read post since we started Maryland Juice, drawing hundreds and hundreds of new readers this week.

We now hear that the ACLU is poking around at Chairman MoCo's practices, and the media is spreading the word about the defective web filters used by Montgomery County and Amtrak. Additionally, numerous young LGBT voices in Montgomery are suddenly contacting Maryland Juice about the need for more local organizing to defend the community. Details soon!

In the meantime, here is a quick round-up of the news coverage, starting with a TV clip from WJLA (ABC 7):

BREAKING: Anne Arundel Councilman Daryl Jones Pleads Guilty to 5 Years of Unfiled Taxes

Here's a quick newsclip on this breaking development. The Baltimore Sun reports:

An Anne Arundel County Councilman pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday to a single count of failing to file a tax return.

Councilman Daryl D. Jones, a Democrat from Severn who is serving his second four-year term on the County Council, entered the plea in Baltimore before U.S. District Court Judge Ellen Hollander.

Assistant U.S Attorney Gregory Bockin said in court that Jones failed to file both his personal and corporate tax returns for five years — from 2002 to 2007. Under a plea agreement, Jones will pay back the loss to the government pegged at $108,369.57.