The Office of the State Prosecutor is scrutinizing the city of Aberdeen?s records over a number of last year?s most controversial issues, including the hiring of the mayor?s business partner as a city consultant and the defeated annexation of the Wetlands Golf Course.
City Manager Doug Miller said he was served with a subpoena from the state prosecutor requiring that he turn over copies of contracts, financial records, memos, reports and other files related to a wide range of issues by June 19.
Aberdeen officials are calling the investigation an election-year ploy. Mayor S. Fred Simmons, who is up for re-election in November, said he was confident no misdeeds would be found, but innuendo had already done the damage.
“I think it is political in nature, and I think they?re aiming for the mayor directly,” Council President Mike Hiob said.
Among the records sought were the contracts, job description and pay records for Churchville CPA Stephen Wright, who served as Simmons? campaign treasurer and business partner in the Aldino Airport in Churchville.
Last year, The Examiner reported that Wright was hired for almost $100,000 to conduct a six-month audit of budgets allegedly left in disarray by previous administrations.
City Council members said there was never a formal vote to approve Wright?s hiring. A complaint was made to the city ethics committee, but no violations were found.
“I thought it was a dead issue until this hit the fan,” Hiob said.
The subpoena also required the city to turn over all annexation proposals, including those for the Wetlands Golf Course annexation that was approved by the council but overturned by a referendum in December. A group of seven county residents filed a civil suit in April after the city received a revised version of the same annexation ? alleging that officials are going against the will of the referendum voters.
Other subpoenaed documents included receipts and invoices for several trips city officials took to Fort Monmouth, N.J., and Atlanta to discuss the Base Realignment and Closure process bringing new jobs to Aberdeen Proving Ground; and donations to the annual Mayor?s Ball holiday party at Ripken Stadium. Ticket prices were reduced in the hopes that private donations would make up the difference, but a lack of donors left the city short nearly $10,000 to be paid out of the general budget, Miller said.
Office of the State Prosecutor
The state prosecutor may investigate on his own initiative, or at the request of the governor, the attorney general, the General Assembly, the State Ethics Commission or a state?s attorney, certain criminal offenses. These include:
» State election law violations
» State public ethics law violations
» State bribery law violations involving public officials or employees
» Misconduct in office by public officials or employees
» Extortion, perjury or obstruction of justice related to any of the above
Source: State of Maryland
