Maryland Republicans are demanding an investigation of Democratic State Senate hopeful Bobby Zirkin?s campaign finances after recent filings indicate he may not have reported as much as $28,000 of in-kind donations he received from a local development firm.
Zirkin paid only $5,000 in rent for an Owings Mills office he used for 11 months, state records show. The 2,000-square-foot suite in a business park off Reisterstown Road is priced now for $3,000 a month with “some work” needed, according to real estate listings obtained by The Examiner.
“We demand a full investigation by the state prosecutor with the full cooperation of the state Board of Elections into this highly questionable, possibly illegal, behavior on the part of Mr. Zirkin?s campaign,” said GOP spokeswoman Audra Miller.
The two-term District 11 delegate?s annual report filed in January makes no mention of rent payments. His pre-primary report filed last week includes a $5,000 payment to Mount Wilson Partnership ? a limited liability under David S. Brown Enterprises and a contributor to the development firm?s political action committee ? made in January.
His campaign occupied the “uninhabitable” office between February and December 2005, said Andrew Alperstein, a campaign worker who responded to questions on Zirkin?s behalf. Alperstein said the $3,000 per-month listing price would only be valid if the suite were heavily improved.
As it was, the 11-month rent was satisfied with a $5,000 lump-sum payment.
“He was using the space while it was not in use by Brown,” Alperstein said. “If David S. Brown were to get a tenant, he would get out.”
The payment came after Zirkin had already moved out of that office, said Jared DeMarinis, director of the state Board of Election?s campaign finance division. The board briefly looked into a complaint about Zirkin?s rent payments earlier this year, and DeMarinis asked Zirkin?s campaign treasurer to submit a letter of explanation.
That letter said the $5,000 payment was not included in the annual report because Zirkin was still negotiating a payment,DeMarinis said. But Zirkin?s annual report indicated no outstanding bills due, and DeMarinis said he had no knowledge of the office?s market value.
“Knowing that, this would cause me some consternation,” he said Thursday.
Zirkin, whose campaign has $78,700 cash on hand, will face Democrat Scott Rifkin in the District 11 primary next month. Rifkin said he hopes the allegations against Zirkin are false.
