Maryland Political Corruption: Cheryl Glenn charged with bribery, wire fraud
Cheryl Glenn, the Baltimore Democrat who abruptly resigned her long-held seat in the Maryland House of Delegates last week, has been charged with bribery and wire fraud, Pamela Wood and Kevin Rector of the Sun report.
- Glenn built her reputation in Annapolis fighting to legalize medical marijuana and trying to ensure that minorities secured licenses to participate in the multibillion-dollar industry, Ovetta Wiggins of the Post reports.
- Glenn is accused of soliciting and taking bribes in exchange for backing legislation related to cannabis, opioids and alcohol. Heather Cobun of the Daily Record reports that the criminal information describes Glenn as boasting about her influence in the granting of medical cannabis licenses in Maryland, and it said she was driven by the need to come up with money to pay her debts and stave off foreclosure on her home.
- Holden Wilen and Morgan Eichensehr of the Baltimore Business Journal write that Glenn allegedly accepted $33,750 in bribes in exchange for voting in favor of a bill to increase the number of medical marijuana grower and processor licenses available to an out-of-state company ($3,000) and introducing legislation that created a class B alcohol and liquor license in District 45, Glenn’s legislative district in Baltimore ($20,000) among others.
- After giving up her seat for “personal reasons” last Wednesday, Glenn is scheduled to self-surrender and be arraigned on January 22 in U.S. District Court in downtown Baltimore, Fern Shen and Mark Reutter of Baltimore Brew report.
- Bruce DePuyt of Maryland Matters writes that a Justice Department investigation placed Glenn in meetings with an unidentified individual who was an “associate” of hers and of unidentified out-of-state firm that wanted a license to grow and process marijuana here. In Glenn, until last week the head of the city’s House delegation who also served as chairwoman of the Legislative Black Caucus, the firm found a willing partner, the indictment alleges.
U.S. ATTY. SAYS POLITICAL CORRUPTION NOT ONLY FOCUS: U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur, after unsealing the latest corruption charge against a former Maryland lawmaker, said his office takes political corruption seriously but is not singularly focused on prosecuting elected officials, Adam Bednar of the Daily Record reports. Hur’s office, on Monday, accused former Del. Cheryl Glenn of fraud and bribery. She is the third former state legislator to face corruption charges from the U.S. Attorney’s office since October.
HOGAN FILLS UMMS BOARD: Gov. Larry Hogan announced the last round of appointments Monday to the University of Maryland Medical System board, part of a leadership overhaul required after a contracting scandal that led to the resignation of Baltimore’s mayor and several top hospital officials, Meredith Cohn of the Sun reports.
- Included in Hogan’s appointments Monday were Chip DiPaula and Alexander Williams Jr., currently serving as the board’s interim chair and interim vice-chair, respectively, Tim Curtis writes for the Daily Record.
WATERMAN OPTIMISTIC ON OYSTERS: “It’s not all doom and gloom like the environmentalists say it is,” Robert Brown, who is president of the Maryland Watermen’s Association, said after catching his 10-bushel-per-day limit. “We have a large number of small oysters that are going back overboard. I’m looking for us to have a good season this year, and we’re looking for a good one next year. As long as we have small oysters, we will have big ones.” Not everyone shares Brown’s optimistic assessment of the oyster population, Brian Witte of the AP reports.
CARROLL GOP COMMITTEE RESIGNATION: Former Carroll County Commissioner Richard Rothschild resigned his seat on the Carroll County Republican Central Committee on Thursday night. In November, Rothschild announced he would step down effective Dec. 31 or upon the selection of a replacement. Jon Kelvey of the Carroll County Times reports on the confusing situation to name a replacement that ensued.
TOM DARDEN, RETIRED STATEHOUSE PHOTOGRAPHER, DIES: Tom Darden, a State House photographer known for his work capturing the photos of five Maryland governors, has died, according to a social media post by his daughter. “To those who knew my father, ‘Space,’ aka Tom Darden, he passed away today,” Karen Jacob stated on Wednesday in a Facebook post. His family did not immediately respond to requests for comments. Naomi Harris of the Annapolis Capital wrote on Dec. 14.
- Theresa McMinn of the Cumberland Times-News did a nice series about Tom Darden last December.
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