Public Campaign - Maryland

Details Emerge

Katie Schlieper — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 15:39:38 -0500

More from the Baltimore Sun on the ongoing investigation into Maryland state Senator Ulysses Currie (D) and whether he violated ethics laws in Maryland by not reporting employment with a company while presiding over legislation that affected that company on several occasions. Last week the FBI carried out raids on Currie's home and the local headquarters of the company that employed him as a contractor, Shoppers Food Warehouse.

Currie's Papers Sought

Katie Schlieper — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 15:49:29 -0500

The investigation into Maryland state Senator Ulysses Currie (D) is heating up. A grand jury has issued a subpoena to the Maryland Department of Legislative Services for all documents pertaining to Currie. The investigation centers on Currie's outside consulting relationship with Shoppers Food Warehouse and Currie's failure to report that relationship, despite presiding over legislation that concerned the company.

Maryland Senator Target of Investigation

Katie Schlieper — Fri, 30 May 2008 08:32:27 -0500

Yesterday evening the FBI carried out a raid on the home of Maryland State Senator Ullyses Currie (D) and the Lanham, MD headquarters of Supervalu, parent company of Shoppers Food Warehouse for whom Currie provided outside consultant services. He has not reported income received from Shoppers or Supervalu on any of his three most recent filings with the State Ethics Commission, nor has he ever filed forms indicating a possible conflict of interest between this consulting work and his position in the legislature.

Will They Do The Right Thing?

Katie Schlieper — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 15:32:31 -0500

The article in the Baltimore City Paper examines some of the political machinations that are delaying further progress on the Maryland Public Financing Act in the Senate. Senate President Mike Miller's (D) notorious opposition to a Clean Elections public financing program for Maryland has translated into pressure on leadership, and a series of half-baked budget excuses that keep stalling the bill in the Senate.

Address the Inequality

Katie Schlieper — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 09:33:23 -0500

The Baltimore Sun covers three bits of pending legislation before the Maryland General Assembly, the second of which is the Clean Elections bill that would give legislative candidates the opportunity to run for office with public financing. In particular the paper notes the potential for a public financing program to address low levels of voter participation in the African-American community.

Turning up the Heat

Katie Schlieper — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 10:45:48 -0500

With less than a month remaining to pass Clean Elections legislation in Maryland we're turning up the heat on the Senate, and particularly the leadership, to move the bill out of committee and to the floor for a vote. Yesterday Public Campaign, Progressive Maryland, and Common Cause Maryland convened a press conference at the state capitol to release new polling information, and unveil a new ad campaign targeting money flowing to Maryland legislators from electric utility companies.

Update from press conference in Annapolis

Adam Smith — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 10:30:28 -0500

As I mentioned yesterday, Public Campaign along with Common Cause and Progressive Maryland released a report yesterday on the correlation between energy deregulation and campaign contributions.

Power to the Special Interests

Adam Smith — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 09:27:14 -0500

Do you live in Maryland? Are you paying a ridiculously large increase in your energy costs this year? It probably has something to do with the electricity deregulation legislation that passed in 1999.

Piece of the Problem

Katie Schlieper — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 16:37:24 -0500

Ah, zee dangers of merely putting limits on who can give how much to legislative candidates: loopholes loom large. The Washington Post reports on the ways lobbyist money has found around the regulations placed in its path when it comes time to fill the campaign coffers of Maryland candidates.

We Can Dance If We Want To

Katie Schlieper — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 10:34:03 -0500

Well, I make it a habit to dance on behalf of Clean Elections regularly but I recognize you may not have the opportunity as often as I -- so I encourage all of you in the Baltimore area to take advantage of a chance to do just that this Friday at the Dance for Democracy event in support of full public financing for Maryland's elections!