Col. Howard Walter, Harford County Sheriff R. Thomas Golding?s second-in-command, was grilled Monday by an investigator from the State Prosecutor?s Office about allegations that his boss may have pressured deputies to contribute to Golding?s campaign, according to a senior law enforcement source.
Golding ended his re-election campaign Thursday, citing a desire to keep “nasty” politics from “ripping” the agency apart.
“Of course, we never comment on whether or not we are conducting an investigation,” said Deputy State Prosecutor Thomas McDonough. When asked if an investigator interviewed Golding or Walter, McDonough responded, “That?s a question I don?t think I should answer.”
Both Golding and Walter were unavailable for comment.
The latest state inquiry into the Harford County Sheriff?s Office marks the second time that the office has been the target of an investigation since 2003.
Former Sheriff Joseph P. Meadows resigned in 2003 after the state prosecutor began an investigation into a sexual harassment complaint by a female records clerk. No charges were filed against Meadows in that investigation.
“It is in the purview of every prosecutor to determine if a case is worth prosecuting or not, even if a crime has been committed,” McDonough said. “Not every case is worth prosecuting.”
Golding?s command staff, including Walter, has been accused by his political rival of soliciting deputies to support Golding in his campaign. When questioned last week about the allegations, Golding declined comment. His campaign spokesman, Edward Hopkins, said, “for decades, this has been the practice of the agency.”
Other counties say this is not routine policy.
“We don?t allow politics to come into the workplace,” said Anne Arundel County Sheriff George F. Johnson. “We don?t want our people to feel pressured. They?re hired to do a job and that is to protect the citizens of Anne Arundel County.”
