The Maryland State Prosecutor?s office has filed criminal charges in Anne Arundel County District Court against 13 people from around the state who prosecutors say have neglected to file proper campaign finance reports.
Those named represent a total of four individual campaigns and three political action committees as either chairmen or treasurers. The accounts range from House of Delegates campaigns to the Bethlehem Steel Maryland PAC. Some of the campaigns skipped filings, others had not filed in almost two years. One campaign, the Friends of David Hanna, has never filed a report since it was organized in January.
No court dates have been set yet, but a guilty finding against any of the individuals could mean up to a year in prison and as much as $25,000 in fines. According to a statement issued Friday from the state prosecutor?s office, an investigation into a list of about 60 delinquent campaigns handed over from the Maryland State Board of Elections began this summer. The office then sent notices to campaign officials to bring the accounts into compliance.
No one at the prosecutor?s office was available for comment Friday.
