A Republican senator said he is “outraged” that the O?Malley administration is trying to “strong-arm” state contractors and suppliers into supporting the governor?s tax package or face loss of business. The governor?s staff said nothing inappropriate or illegal was done.
Sen. Andrew Harris, a Baltimore County Republican, said there was a calculated effort by the O?Malley administration to misuse taxpayer dollars by having Cabinet secretaries and their staff lobby for the “largest tax increases in Maryland history.”
Harris released copies of a letter sent by Alvin Collins, secretary of the Department of General Services, to vendors asking them to communicate with “colleagues, friends and neighbors the choices facing Maryland.” The choice is “a very bleak budget plan that he will be forced to submit in January if a consensus on the revenue package is not reached,” Collins said.
Harris, who is running for Congress, said a constituent who does business with the state contacted him, feeling intimidated by the letter.
“He was worried that he wouldn?t get contracts or have them renewed,” Harris said.
The letter was just one department?s response to an e-mail from Michael Enright, the governor?s chief of staff, urging Cabinet members to contact advocacy groups and beneficiaries.
Harris said, “it?s either illegal or highly unethical,” especially for the DGS secretary, the chief procurement officer for the state.
O?Malley spokesman Rick Abbruzzese said the Cabinet secretaries are doing nothing illegal based on a March attorney general?s opinion.
“These departments are going to face huge budget cuts,” Abbruzzese said.
“Cabinet secretaries have an obligation to inform the public.”
“Senator Harris clearly doesn?t understand of the law,” Abbruzzese said.
