Oliver is accused of misusing campaign funds
Baltimore County Councilman Ken Oliver was charged Monday with felony theft and several election law violations after he used more than $4,000 in campaign funds for personal loans, prosecutors said.
Oliver, 63, a Randallstown Democrat, was indicted by a Baltimore County grand jury on two felony theft charges for writing checks to himself and his wife from his campaign fund, state prosecutor Robert Rohrbaugh said. He also faces six other counts of election law violations.
His indictment comes nearly one year after Oliver wrote to the state’s elections board admitting to a possible campaign finance violation and apologizing for a “poor choice in handling a family emergency.”
Oliver, who did not return a call by press time, said in his February 2008 letter that he borrowed and repaid funds from his campaign account, unaware of the potential violation.
“There was nothing hidden, no subterfuge, I thought I was doing what was required of me,” Oliver wrote at the time.
Senior assistant state prosecutor Shelly Glenn said records indicate Oliver repaid his campaign account.
If convicted of theft, Oliver faces up to 15 years in prison and a $25,000 fine. Violations of election laws carry an additional one-year prison sentence and $25,000 fine per violation.
According to the indictment, Oliver wrote a $2,000 check to his wife, Thelma Oliver, from his campaign account in November 2007, describing it as a “loan repayment” on the memo line. About two days later, the check was deposited into Ken Oliver’s personal account at Harbor Bank, Oliver’s former employer, and was endorsed under his wife’s name.
In January 2008, Oliver wrote a $2,000 check to himself from his campaign account that he cashed.
Oliver also is charged with failing to support reimbursements with receipts. In June, July and August 2007, Oliver wrote several checks to himself — describing the expenses as “fish fry supplies” and a legislative conference — but did not submit receipts to justify the reimbursements, according to the indictment.
Oliver was elected in 2002 as the first black County Council member, and he remains the council’s only minority. His district includes the Woodlawn, Windsor Mill, Liberty and Randallstown areas.
In a prepared statement, County Executive Jim Smith said he was “saddened” by the news, but wished to “withhold judgment until the matter is resolved by the courts.”
Several of his colleagues declined to comment. Councilman Vince Gardina, a Perry Hall Democrat, called the indictment “unfortunate.”
“It’s even more unfortunate when elected officials get accused of this type of thing because it just perpetuates the public perception that all elected officials are corrupt,” Gardina said. “I think most people are in it for the right reason.”
A criminal summons for Oliver has been issued, and no court date has been set.
