A Baltimore County lawmaker said he is preparing legislation that aims to close what he called a “loophole” used by County Executive Jim Smith to funnel more than $300,000 to a fellow Democratic candidate in November?s election.
Maryland laws limits transfers between candidates? accounts to $6,000, but does not cap exchanges between candidates on a mutual slate. Republican Pat McDonough, R-District 7, said Smith created a sham slate account to circumvent the cap and transfer $315,000 to the county?s now State?s Attorney-elect Scott Shellenberger.
“This is going to be ?the Jim Smith bill,? ” McDonough said. “I just found it outrageous and unbelievable that in this day and age a person could give a person enough money to buy a condo in the Inner Harbor for a political campaign.”
Smith was the sole contributor to a $400,000 campaign fund of the Baltimore County Victory Slate, which transferred $315,000 to Shellenberger, according to finance records. A representative from Smith?s campaign declined to comment for this article.
McDonough, who said slate funds should be transferred only to other slate funds, said he is looking for bipartisan support for the bill, but lawmakers said they will wait before taking positions.
“Everybody played by the rules, as the county executive has been perfectly appropriate,” said Del. Dan Morhaim, D-District 10. “But if somebody wants to introduce legislation, I?ll be happy to look at it the same way I look at every legislation.”
Morhaim and Chris Cavey, chair of the county?s Republican committee, cautioned the bill could impede other benefits of slates.
McDonough said he will consult with the attorney general?s office and Common Cause Maryland ? which asked state prosecutors to investigate Smith and the Baltimore County Victory Slate. Prosecutors cleared Smith of any criminal violation.
