A source said Friday that allegations of possible misconduct by leadership of the Harford County Sheriff?s Office continue to come forward, even after Sheriff R. Thomas Golding removed himself from the upcoming election amid allegations of deputies being solicited to support his campaign.
Col. Howard Walter was identified by a source close to the sheriff Friday as interfering with the normal processing of a complaint against a civilian clerk.
The “Form 28” complaint is an official agency document that was filed on April 27 by Capt. Greg Carlevaro against a female civilian clerk working on the second floor of the sheriff?s office headquarters. The clerk was soliciting deputies to financially support Golding?s campaign, and Carlevaro filed the Form 28 against the woman.
The complaint would have been nextforwarded to then-Maj. Jesse Bane, but that happened to be the day Bane retired to announce his candidacy for sheriff, so the Form 28 went to Walter. The source said Walter forwarded the complaint back to Carlevaro, recommending he resolve the matter.
Walter was the warden of the Harford County Detention Center under Sheriff Joseph P. Meadows, but after Meadows left office in 2003, he moved to the sheriff?s office headquarters and was given the second-in-command position by Golding.
As first reported in The Examiner, allegations of deputies being pressured into supporting Golding?s campaign via financial contribution or other methods of support, includingthe posting of signs, border on criminal misconduct, according to an expert at the State Prosecutor?s Office.
In addition, an anonymous letter ? a copy of which has been provided to The Examiner by the State Board of Elections ? identifies Walter as one of those responsible for the pressure applied to deputies.
The letter alleges that Walter would solicit deputies to purchase pancake breakfast fundraiser tickets ? Golding had a pancake breakfast fundraiser last May, according to Golding?s campaign spokesman Edward Hopkins ? and if a deputy refused, Walter would push the matter, suggesting the deputy purchase the ticket, and then give the ticket away.
Walter did not respond to repeated questions about these allegations.
He was scheduled to attend the Law Enforcement Executive Development School in Ocean City until Friday evening, said Robert Thomas, spokesman for the Harford County Sheriff?s Office.
