Apr 21, 2008 5:00 pm US/Eastern
Board Takes No Action On Comptroller Complaint
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) ―
The State Ethics Commission has decided not to take any action on a complaint by a state senator, who criticized the manner in which Comptroller Peter Franchot offered to release names and salaries of state employees.
Sen. James DeGrange, D-Anne Arundel, called Feb. 28 for an investigation after Franchot released the names and salaries of 4,678 state employees to a newspaper that requested them.
"The commission dedicated considerable staff time in conducting a review of this matter," wrote Robert Hahn, executive director of the State Ethics Commission. "Based on the information obtained, the commission determined not to take any further action on this matter at this time."
In the letter, which was addressed to Franchot, the commission did not offer any further explanation. Hahn could not be reached Monday for comment.
Joseph Shapiro, a spokesman for the comptroller, said Franchot "is pleased, but not surprised" by the commission's conclusion.
"Public access to information is vital in a democracy. The comptroller is committed to change and breaking down barriers to open and transparent government," Shapiro said.
The salaries of state employees are a matter of public record.
DeGrange, however, said Franchot crossed a line by offering the information before the paper made a formal request for it.
Before DeGrange's request for an investigation, Franchot expressed concerns that lawmakers were targeting the jobs of his top deputies with budget cuts in retaliation for negative comments about slot machine gambling and November's special legislative session.
Franchot has been at odds with Gov. Martin O'Malley and Senate leadership over his opposition to slots.
After a Feb. 13 Board of Public Works meeting, the comptroller told reporters he had heard rumors about the cuts, and he said he could provide a list of people in state government who had salaries comparable to those of his deputies.
Soon after, The Baltimore Examiner asked the comptroller's office by e-mail for a list of state employees who make more than $100,000 a year, citing the Maryland Public Information Act.
The comptroller's office provided the information.
Some senators have argued that Franchot has been exceeding his bounds as comptroller, involving himself in state matters that shouldn't concern him in order to raise his political profile.
Franchot, a statewide elected official, contends he is only providing the independent voice the voters elected him to bring to Annapolis.
(© 2008 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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