Annapolis Capital Punishment

Columnist Eric Hartley at The Capital is trying to get to the bottom of why Mayor Ellen O. and her hand-picked (and effectively disbarred for two years) "Acting" City Attorney Steve Kling are refusing to release information about the city's ethics commission activities.

Hartley writes, "But how can anyone have confidence or trust in government when ethical questions are discussed in secret?

That's the problem in Annapolis. The city government refuses to release any of the Ethics Commission's advisory opinions, unlike state and county ethics commissions, which post theirs online."

"Acting" City Attorney Steve Kling is defending the lack of disclosure. Speaking of "Acting", Kling will be up very soon to be officially anointed as "City Attorney" so he can't keep "acting" forever. That is a story we'll need to watch carefully.

Before you run off to read Hartley's piece (in which fellow blogger Arundel Muckraker is specifically mentioned for his work in bringing this story to light--and thankfully the Capital is doing that) consider this--I received a tip many months ago from a reader who suggested that I inquire into the historical relationship between Ellen "O" and Kling by starting with the Ethics Commission. Committee Chair Rex Caldwell first ignored my request. He then sent me a curt email saying basically "Read the Code" to explain why he could not even tell me if there were an investigation about Kling and Moyer. There seems to be a pattern here that Caldwell, also a lawyer, does not take public or media inquiries seriously. Whose side is he on? Do we need to add him to the list of FOE's?

What is this going to take--a court order??? See: Hartley on ethics secrecy

Please send comments, subscribe, share with your friends, and support our sponsors. Join us at Ahh Coffee! in Eastport almost every Thursday from 8-9 am.