The Maryland Democratic Party today wrote to the State Board of Elections to call their attention to yet another violation of the State’s campaign finance laws by former governor Robert Ehrlich.
Recently, the Maryland Board of Elections began an investigation of Bob Ehrlich for illegally accepting corporate in-kind contributions from the law/lobbying firm Womble Carlyle in which he is a partner. Now, it appears that Ehrlich’s campaign is accepting tens of thousands of dollars in illegal contributions from a Baltimore radio station.
On March 25th of this year, Ehrlich announced his plans to run for Governor again. Despite his entry into the race, Ehrlich has continued his two-hour weekly radio show on WBAL Radio in Baltimore, and has said he has no immediate plans to stop. This means that over the last several weeks the Ehrlich Campaign has already taken tens of thousands of dollars in illegal in-kind contributions from WBAL, and plans to increase that number exponentially.
Maryland’s campaign finance laws clearly state that a donor can give no more than $4,000 to a single candidate. Assuming that the air time available to Ehrlich is at least sixty minutes per show, he is likely receiving at least $18,000 worth of air time every week.
On top of the free air-time, which runs much like a campaign infomercial, Ehrlich is also paid by the station. Ehrlich is essentially being paid to promote his own bid for Governor, as he regularly uses the show to promote his candidacy, defend his record and advocate for his campaign proposals.
A similar complaint was recently filed by U. S. Senator John McCain against Senate candidate, J.D. Hayworth in Arizona. Hayworth’s radio show ended this year in the wake of an ethics complaint that the show constituted $540,000 in corporate in-kind contributions from Clear Channel Communications. The decision to end the show came before Hayworth even declared his candidacy.
“Bob Ehrlich has repeatedly shown he’s more interested in his personal and political gain than he is in following the law,” said Susan W. Turnbull, Chair of the Maryland Democratic Party, who also wonders if Bob Ehrlich thinks that John McCain was wrong for filing his FEC complaint against J.D. Hayworth. “J.D. Hayworth resigned his radio post, I doubt Bob Ehrlich will show the same moral fiber, which is why we launched this complaint.”
Ehrlich is already facing both state and federal ethics inquiries – The State Board of Elections has asked Ehrlich’s campaign committee to turn over information about other potential unreported in-kind donations by employees of his law firm. The former Governor has also been accused on two occasions of violating the “Payola Pundit” rule, by illegally promote clients’ interests on the air without disclosing his affiliations with them.
Recently, the Maryland Board of Elections began an investigation of Bob Ehrlich for illegally accepting corporate in-kind contributions from the law/lobbying firm Womble Carlyle in which he is a partner. Now, it appears that Ehrlich’s campaign is accepting tens of thousands of dollars in illegal contributions from a Baltimore radio station.
On March 25th of this year, Ehrlich announced his plans to run for Governor again. Despite his entry into the race, Ehrlich has continued his two-hour weekly radio show on WBAL Radio in Baltimore, and has said he has no immediate plans to stop. This means that over the last several weeks the Ehrlich Campaign has already taken tens of thousands of dollars in illegal in-kind contributions from WBAL, and plans to increase that number exponentially.
Maryland’s campaign finance laws clearly state that a donor can give no more than $4,000 to a single candidate. Assuming that the air time available to Ehrlich is at least sixty minutes per show, he is likely receiving at least $18,000 worth of air time every week.
On top of the free air-time, which runs much like a campaign infomercial, Ehrlich is also paid by the station. Ehrlich is essentially being paid to promote his own bid for Governor, as he regularly uses the show to promote his candidacy, defend his record and advocate for his campaign proposals.
A similar complaint was recently filed by U. S. Senator John McCain against Senate candidate, J.D. Hayworth in Arizona. Hayworth’s radio show ended this year in the wake of an ethics complaint that the show constituted $540,000 in corporate in-kind contributions from Clear Channel Communications. The decision to end the show came before Hayworth even declared his candidacy.
“Bob Ehrlich has repeatedly shown he’s more interested in his personal and political gain than he is in following the law,” said Susan W. Turnbull, Chair of the Maryland Democratic Party, who also wonders if Bob Ehrlich thinks that John McCain was wrong for filing his FEC complaint against J.D. Hayworth. “J.D. Hayworth resigned his radio post, I doubt Bob Ehrlich will show the same moral fiber, which is why we launched this complaint.”
Ehrlich is already facing both state and federal ethics inquiries – The State Board of Elections has asked Ehrlich’s campaign committee to turn over information about other potential unreported in-kind donations by employees of his law firm. The former Governor has also been accused on two occasions of violating the “Payola Pundit” rule, by illegally promote clients’ interests on the air without disclosing his affiliations with them.