The Ehrlich administration released e-mails and a photograph yesterday that Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. and his aides said support the notion that there was an orchestrated campaign to make the governor look bad by leaking information about Joseph Steffen, a former gubernatorial aide. "We really want to know about any political orchestration" by the Democratic Party or Democratic officials, Mr. Ehrlich said.
But Democrats said the documents support the allegations, denied by Mr. Ehrlich, that Mr. Steffen was a close aide of the governor who was sent into state agencies to fire workers not considered loyal to the administration. "We want to publicly thank Governor Ehrlich for further exposing the misdeeds in his administration," Josh White, executive director of the state Democratic Party, said.
Items released in response to federal Public Information Act requests by news organizations included a photograph of Mr. Ehrlich and Mr. Steffen with Michelle Lane, who was fired from her state job last summer, e-mails exchanged by Ms. Lane and Mr. Steffen and an e-mail from Ms. Lane to the governor and his top aides in February.
[...]
Mr. Steffen, a longtime aide to Ehrlich in Congress and at the state level, was fired by the governor last month after acknowledging he had used a conservative Web site to spread rumors about Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley, a potential opponent to Mr. Ehrlich in next year's gubernatorial race.
[...]
Mr. Ehrlich said he did not know Ms. Lane even though she worked on his congressional staff and was an employee after he became governor in the Department of Human Resources and the Governor's Office of Children, Families and Youth. Democratic leaders in the Senate and House of Delegates are considering holding hearings about the administration's hiring and firing practices. Mr. Ehrlich said again yesterday he not only would welcome such an inquiry but would like to co-host the hearings.
Ehrlich: Democrats plotting to make him look bad by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, The Capital, Annapolis, Md. March 25, 2005. [complete article]
But Democrats said the documents support the allegations, denied by Mr. Ehrlich, that Mr. Steffen was a close aide of the governor who was sent into state agencies to fire workers not considered loyal to the administration. "We want to publicly thank Governor Ehrlich for further exposing the misdeeds in his administration," Josh White, executive director of the state Democratic Party, said.
Items released in response to federal Public Information Act requests by news organizations included a photograph of Mr. Ehrlich and Mr. Steffen with Michelle Lane, who was fired from her state job last summer, e-mails exchanged by Ms. Lane and Mr. Steffen and an e-mail from Ms. Lane to the governor and his top aides in February.
[...]
Mr. Steffen, a longtime aide to Ehrlich in Congress and at the state level, was fired by the governor last month after acknowledging he had used a conservative Web site to spread rumors about Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley, a potential opponent to Mr. Ehrlich in next year's gubernatorial race.
[...]
Mr. Ehrlich said he did not know Ms. Lane even though she worked on his congressional staff and was an employee after he became governor in the Department of Human Resources and the Governor's Office of Children, Families and Youth. Democratic leaders in the Senate and House of Delegates are considering holding hearings about the administration's hiring and firing practices. Mr. Ehrlich said again yesterday he not only would welcome such an inquiry but would like to co-host the hearings.
Ehrlich: Democrats plotting to make him look bad by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, The Capital, Annapolis, Md. March 25, 2005. [complete article]
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