Firings of mid-level state employees for political reasons apparently have been brought back in some parts of Gov. Martin O?Malley?s administration, at least according to some of those getting fired and their friends.
A yearlong probe by a special legislative committee with subpoena powers was highly critical of the practice under former Gov. Robert Ehrlich and sought to ban the firings with legislation that went into effect Friday.
This time it is a Democratic administration getting rid of Republicans, not just at the level of cabinet secretaries and assistant secretaries, as might be expected, but mid-level at-will employees who may not be protected by the new law. So far the list of firings being circulated among former Ehrlich appointees is not long, maybe 30 or 40 people, not the 350 allegedly dropped by the Ehrlich administration. Scores of other Ehrlich appointees have yet to get the ax.
Among the fired was Lisa Marr, the pregnant outreach coordinator at the Department of Disabilities, who had worked in Bob Ehrlich?s congressional office.
“I served at the pleasure of the governor,” said Marr, who has landed a similar job in Washington. “Getting fired for the first time wasn?t what I was expecting, since the new disabilities secretary said she wanted me to stay on.”
Anne Sunderland, the public information officer at the Department of Aging, got a letter left on her chair March 23 saying that “the administration?s appointees will assume responsibility for your position” that day.
Her firing was “absolutely political,” said Sunderland, who had worked on Ehrlich?s gubernatorial campaigns. But “they had a right to get rid of me,” even though “everyone was thrilled with my performance.”
“It was just like Ehrlich did,” Sunderland agreed. But when Ehrlich did it, Democrats found it “disgusting.”
“It?s just the old double standard,” she said.
Ehrlich created Jeanette Wessel?s job as business outreach coordinator at the airport, and she was about to have her second hip replacement surgery when she was canned April 19. She had served as a special assistant to Republican Anne Arundel County Executive John Gary, but had worked in apolitical Chamber of Commerce jobs for years. Her two aides with ties to Ehrlich were also terminated.
“I kept hearing that they were not going to do a lot of firings till after the [Assembly] session,” Wessel said. “We understand that we are at will employees and sign a letter to that effect. You know [the firing is] political, but how do you show it?s political?
“It was such a big deal with the Ehrlich administration,” Wessel said, “and yet nothing has been written about the O?Malley administration.”
Wessel said transportation officials allowed her to use her accumulated leave as she went through physical therapy recovering from surgery.
The firing list is heavy with public affairs types such as Lee Wildemann, the lobbyist for the Department of General Services who was let go April 18. Wildemann had worked as an aide to First Lady Kendel Ehrlich, and she was replaced at DGS by former Democratic Del. Joan Cadden.
Bryon Johnston lost his job as public information officer at the Maryland Transportation Authority. For a year, he had served as press secretary to then-Lt. Gov. Michael Steele.
Chrys Kefalas, who served as Erhlich?s deputy legal counsel, said the changes in the personnel law “do not appreciably change the landscape of patronage practice,” and people at the lowest levels cannot be fired because of “political affiliation, belief or opinion.” But people in the executive and management service still can be.
