The Howard County Board of Elections is seeking a restraining order against an Ellicott City attorney ? at a time when concerns over election fraud are at a high.
“It?s a breach to security and a threat to the staff,” said Guy L. Harriman, president of the Howard County Board of Elections on Wednesday, after two Board of Elections employees won an extended restraining order against the man in Howard County District Court.
Harriman said he will attempt to extend the ban to the entire office.
William Morstein, whose wife, Brenda, is a member of the elections board, came into the Board of Elections office June 16 and began a “loud tirade” about being reprimanded for “messing with receptionist desk equipment,” according to complaints filed by two elections board workers in court.
On June 26, Morstein again entered “the staff working area” and became “really nasty” with an employee, according to court records.
Morstein also challenged an elections board employee to “go outside with him to fight,” according to a complaint.
On Wednesday, Howard County District Court Judge Alice P. Clark extended a temporary restraining order against Morstein until July 11, when a visiting judge can decide whether the order should be made permanent.
Morstein did not attend the hearing and could not be reached for comment, but his wife, who was reached by phone, said the allegations against him are a “pack of lies.”
She said the elections board officials are angry, because she and her husband questioned the board?s spending habits in paying an attorney and the selection process through which they hired counsel.
She said Board of Election officials didn?t properly advertise for an attorney and paid that attorney too much.
She said her husband never violated security procedures or berated staff members.
“Bill is not going to go back to the office,” she said.
Council Member Charlie Feaga, R-District 5, said he?s always known Morstein to be a “gentleman,” and “politics” played some part in the disagreement.
“We?ve found the Morsteins to be very supportive of the Republican party,” he said. “Politics are behind everything.”
