In one e-mail, Steffen raised concerns about an item on Blair's résumé, which lists his graduation from a master's program as "expected, 08/03." The item, Steffen wrote, was "cause for concern and potential embarrassment. You can make mistakes and oversights sound like pure fabrications, and that's what I'm afraid of."
"I have no interest in beating this into the ground," he wrote, "just in protecting the interests of the Governor and the Secretary."
Joseph Steffen has been called "an irrelevant guy" by one top official.
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A September 2003 memo lends credence to allegations by former state personnel officials that Steffen was involved in hiring and firing decisions.
The memo, from McCabe to Appointments Secretary Lawrence J. Hogan Jr., says McCabe's staff has identified 301 positions that can be filled with "new talent" and discusses upcoming personnel changes. In addition to Hogan, it was sent to four others: Hogan's deputy, Ehrlich's chief of staff, Ehrlich's deputy chief of staff and Steffen.
Sen. Brian E. Frosh (D-Montgomery) said the memo and e-mails offer "compelling evidence" that Steffen "was clearly someone with broad authority, operating at the highest levels."
But Hogan and Schurick, disputed that, saying Steffen at no time had authority over personnel decisions. Asked why Steffen would be a recipient of a memo about hiring and firing decisions, they said they did not know. "I don't have a clue why he's on there," Schurick said.
Before the records on Steffen's tenure are released, they are being reviewed by Finney. At Ehrlich's request, he is conducting an investigation into Steffen's activities while in service at the Human Resources and Juvenile Services departments and the Maryland Insurance Administration.
In a letter to Finney last month, Del. Peter Franchot (D-Montgomery) asked whether the governor's attorney could be trusted to conduct an independent investigation of Steffen. Finney said that he could and that he was not involved in coordinating or overseeing any of Steffen's activities.
But in one e-mail released yesterday, Harris, the chief of staff at Human Resources, wrote that he was "working with [Steffen] as instructed by Counselor Finney." Finney said he never gave such a specific instruction.
"True, various personnel in various agencies were urged by me to work together towards the governor's purpose," he said. "Yet, never have I had direct authority over anyone outside of my office."
As for Steffen, Finney added, "Joe Steffen may have felt he had a little more power than he ever did."
