Jun 8, 2008 6:38 pm US/Eastern
Currie Filed Disclosure Statements Late
DISTRICT HEIGHTS, Md. (WJZ/AP) ―
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Records show that state Senator Ulysses Currie has been the subject of three complaints by the Maryland State Ethics Commission for filing his annual financial disclosure statements late.
Records show that state Senator Ulysses Currie has been the subject of three complaints by the Maryland State Ethics Commission for filing his annual financial disclosure statements late.
Currie is under the investigation by the FBI for a consulting relationship with a grocery chain that he did not disclose. The ethics records shed no light on the Prince George's County Democrat's work for Shoppers Food & Pharmacy.
The Washington Post reports that on two occasions, in 1996 and 2004, Currie agreed to pay $250 in late fees after filing the tardy disclosure statements. He also made $100 payments each time in lieu of potential court costs.
The records show that in addition to the three late filings, Currie filed several reports after the April 30 deadline.
Pat Warren reports Ulysses Currie is not accused of a crime, but federal prosecutors are going after him as though they think he stole something.
A raid on Currie's District Heights home last week coincided with a search of Shoppers Food headquarters. Currie is an outside consultant, though he made no report of income and filed no conflict of interest with the state ethics commission.
"You got to be realistic and know they can always find something," Currie said.
What they found from Shoppers includes notes and correspondence to, from and about Currie. They found an invitation to Currie and other lawmakers to a Mondawmin Mall news conference and correspondence related to an intersection near Owings Mills Shoppers Food.
What they took from Currie's home includes tax records, bank statements, a check stub and consulting agreement from Shoppers, computers and marijuana.
If any of this fits in the investigation, it hasn't been disclosed. Senate president Mike Miller is scratching his head like everybody else.
"If it comes down to the issue of disclosure, not disclosing, it's certainly a wrongdoing, but I'm not sure if it's a manner of the FBI. So I think we're looking for something else, and I'm not sure whether we've found it or not," Miller said.
Another attention grabber is an e-mail about a traffic light Currie wanted near a Shoppers in Laurel. The State Highway Administrator e-mailed staff in 2005, "It's very critical that we do all we can to expedite this as much as possible. This is very important to the chairman. We have several pieces of critical legislation before his committee right now."
The State Highway Administration says it frequently receives requests for traffic improvements and changes from citizens and elected officials and asks staff to provide updates on any outstanding issues previously raised by legislators. The e-mail cites a specific traffic improvement that met criteria for implementation and they should implement the improvement as soon as possible. But whether Currie used his influence to benefit a paying client hasn't been established.
Records of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee have also been subpoenaed. A call to the senator's home went unanswered and his attorney was unavailable.
"I think if Senator Currie had done some untoward things, I would have known about it," Miller said.
Federal prosecutors are not commenting on the investigation.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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