An Anne Arundel County grand jury on Friday indicted the son of Baltimore City Del. Hattie Harrison on charges of conspiracy to violate elections laws.
The indictment also accuses William “Skip” Harrison Jr., 60, of Baltimore City, with theft and multiple counts of failing to file tax returns.
The indictment alleges Harrison:
? Stole money in excess of $500 from the campaign finance committee of his mother in February 2005;
? Between 1998 and 2006, conspired to violate election laws by maintaining and controlling his mother?s campaign finance committee without being the duly authorizedtreasurer;
? Failed to file tax returns in 2004, 2005 and 2006.
State Prosecutor Robert Rohrbaugh began his probe into the Harrison campaign when the State Board of Elections asked his office to investigate why the campaign had failed to file required campaign finance reports.
“This indictment demonstrates our continued commitment to enforcing election laws in Maryland,” Rohrbaugh said in a statement.
The charges carry the following penalties:
? For theft, a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $25,000 fine;
? For conspiracy to violate election laws, a maximum penalty of 1 year in jail and a $25,000 fine;
? For each failing to file tax returns charge, a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Hattie Harrison, D-District 45, has been a member of the House of Delegates since Aug. 2, 1973.
She is the chairwoman of the Rules and Executive Nominations Committee and a member of the Economic Matters Committee. She is the first black woman ever to be a chairwoman of a house legislative committee.
Neither William Harrison nor Hattie Harrison returned phone calls seeking comment by press time.
