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Ehrlich's Hirings, Firings Reached Deep Into Ranks
Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. (R) has denied Democrats' accusations that he fired workers for partisan reasons.
(By Steve Ruark -- Associated Press)
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"We were the working professionals," she said. "We were the people you needed to go to when you wanted to get something done."
She said her boss informed her that her position was being eliminated for budget reasons, but she believes she was forced out because she was a known Democrat and because she had raised questions when her superiors wanted to award a no-bid contract to a favored vendor, which went against procurement rules.
State officials would not comment on Nader's and Sacilotto's cases because they involve personnel matters.
Historically, Maryland's Cabinet secretaries had responsibility for personnel decisions. But shortly after Ehrlich's inauguration, Hogan, the state appointments secretary, sent a memo to Cabinet secretaries alerting them that his office would "vet" all hiring and firing decisions with the governor's staff.
Officials have also made political appointments to several lower-level jobs that have traditionally been civil service positions, according to records and interviews.
At the Maryland Port Administration, part of the state transportation department, those included two computer specialists and two administrative assistants, according to Royce Treadaway, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees representative to that agency for the past two decades.
The union filed grievances to protest the appointments. "This is the first time in the history of the port that has ever happened," Treadaway said.
One appointee, Bethany Gill, a computer information specialist, was hired in September 2003 at a salary of about $47,000, state records show. George Casey, the former transportation personnel director, said the appointment was authorized and approved by the governor's office.
Andrea Fulton, the state personnel chief, said the appointment was within the department's authority. Gill, who now works at the Public Service Commission, would not comment.
Barry B. Bobo, a Baltimore Realtor and longtime political friend to Baltimore County Republicans, was appointed to a job at the Maryland Transportation Authority a few months after Ehrlich took office.
Casey said he and other department officials were told by the governor's office to find Bobo a job paying $27,000 to $28,000. They discussed tollbooth collector or telecommunications operator before settling on highway operations technician, an entry-level job. Bobo monitors traffic cameras at the authority's operations center at the Fort McHenry tunnel.
"My office was just stunned by this appointment," Casey said.
Chuck Yowell, president of the AFSCME local that represents Transportation Authority workers, said hundreds of employees have applied for that type of position because, unlike many at the department, it is indoors.
"You come in, you take a seat at your console, you watch the TV screens, and if there are problems, you report it," Yowell said.
Fulton said the appointment was within the department's authority. Bobo, who works the overnight shift, said, "I got the job because I was qualified for it."
Staff researcher Bobbye Pratt, database editor Derek Willis and staff writer Michael D. Shear contributed to this report.
