Baltimore

Perhaps this is one of those situations where there is enough blame to go around.

First here is what we know. We know that Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon (D) is being investigated into whether or not she received gifts for approving city incentives that favor developers. In particular is developer Ronald Lipscomb. Lipscomb and Dixon, who were separated from their respective spouses for quite sometime, acknowledged that they had a personal relationship between 2003 and 2004. During the course of the relationship, they had spent a lot of time traveling and a lot of time shopping. Those shopping strips involved dropping a lot of money in a single store. Also a fact is that Dixon did not make full disclosures when she filed her ethics reports. This is where I begin.

Dixon acknowledges 'personal relationship'

The Baltimore Sun has an exclusive report on the newest revelations about state prosecutors' investigation of "bribery, perjury and misconduct in office" into Mayor Sheila Dixon's gifts and relationship with a prominent developer while she was president of the City Council.

The result of a two-year investigation, court records presented to a Baltimore County District Court show trips and gifts Dixon received from Ronald. H. Lipscomb, a developer who had business before the city that she voted on.

Dixon told the Sun in a statement that she and Lipscomb "had a personal relationship" in late 2003 and early 2004 while they were estranged from their spouses, and acknowledged that gifts were exchanged.

The gifts were not reported, which is likely in violation of city ethics law and punishable in the same manner as perjury.

In 1999, the Maryland General Assembly voted to ban lobbyists from buying meals for individual lawmakers. Designed to curb the appearance of impropriety, the legislation, House Bill (HB) 1, passed with overwhelming support.

The law, however, did not forbid lobbyists from buying meals for lawmakers in a committee or county delegation setting, which has some advocacy groups calling for a total repeal on lobbyist gifts, while others say the current law prevents small lobbying firms and grassroots organizations from competing with big budget firms, and needs to be changed.

"The average Joe who wants to talk to a (General Assembly) member over a meal can't do so," Senate Majority Whip Lisa Gladden (D-Baltimore) said during an interview with PolitickerMD.com. "You have only the big wigs who can afford it."

U.S. Sen. Barbara MikulskiSpeculation that Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Baltimore) may retire following the end of her current term in January 2011 is not true, according to Melissa Schwartz, the senator’s communications director.

“Senator Mikulski has been clear in numerous reports that she’s not shy and not retiring,” Schwartz said in an e-mail to PolitickerMD.com.

The statement would seem to indicate that Mikulski will run for re-election in 2010, but Schwartz said the senator “has not formally declared” her intention.

Mikulski, currently in the fourth year of her term, is the senior female in the Senate, having served since 1987. She has nearly six years of seniority on her nearest female colleague, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who began serving on Nov. 10, 1992, following a special election victory.

Seven months will remain on Rep. Al Wynn’s (D-Mitchellville) term when he resigns from Maryland’s 4th Congressional District in June. According to the Maryland State Code, Election Law, subsection 8-710- Congressional vacancy - Governor's proclamation, Gov. Martin O’Malley has the right to order a special primary and special general election to fill the seat, if he so desires, within ten days after the vacancy occurs or becomes known to him.

He also has the right to leave the position open, according to Raquel Guillory, a spokesperson for Attorney General Doug Gansler. O’Malley has yet to make a statement in regards to the matter, and telephone calls left with his press office have yet to be returned.

A similar event occurred in Maryland in April 1996, when Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Baltimore) was elected to fill the open position in the Seventh Congressional District, vacated by Kweisi Mfume (D-Baltimore), who resigned to become president of the NAACP.

As the House of Delegates prepares to vote on House Bill (HB) 102, the Voter’s Rights Protection Act of 2008, Del. Keith Haynes (D-Baltimore), a co-sponsor of the bill, told PoltickerMD.com that the legislation was essential to “ensure fairness and quality for individuals.”

Haynes called the act “very important,” and said it would “ensure that voter’s rights are protected and continue to be protected.”

ANNAPOLIS -- House Democrats have proposed a bill that would prohibit the release of false campaign materials. The Voter's Rights Protection Act of 2008 stems from the 2006 gubernatorial race, when on the eve of the election Democrats in Prince George’s County and Baltimore City were given fliers identifying Republican Gov. Bob Ehrlich and Republican Lt. Gov. Michael Steele as Democrats.

Speaking with PolitickerMD.com this afternoon, Del. Patrick L. McDonough (R-Middle River) said he was opposed to the current legislation, House Bill (HB) 102, because he found the term false to be “misleading” in a “legal sense.”

“The wording is too vague and general,” McDonough explained, saying he felt the bill could create an “opportunity” for a lawmakers’ “political enemies” to file “frivolous lawsuits.”