Md. Cabinet Member Says He Objected to Aide

Kreseski, who left for a lobbying position, did not return a message left at his office. Fawell would not comment on Steffen or his role in the administration, except to say, "There's nothing more we can add to the mountain of information" already released about him.

"He was one single employee," Fawell said.

Steffen could not be located for comment.

The committee also heard from George W. Casey, the former human resources director for the Department of Transportation, who had written top lawmakers this year decrying "the most harmful and corrosive personnel practices I have observed in 20 years in the field."

Yesterday, Casey described an array of irregularities he observed at the department before being fired himself. He said, for instance, that the governor's appointments office ordered him to stop conducting criminal background checks after two appointees were found to have had criminal infractions.

Casey also said that he raised objections when a supervisor signed documentation granting himself a raise and that he sounded alarms after an employee was fired one day after filing a discrimination complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The employee, he said, had complained in an anonymous letter to Ehrlich about being insulted with racial epithets.

"I was concerned [his dismissal] would be seen as retaliation," which would be illegal, Casey said.

Casey also for the first time identified a classified employee who was forced out and was not among the more than 6,000 state workers who serve in "at will" positions. Ehrlich officials have repeatedly said they never fired any employee protected by the merit system.

Transportation Secretary Robert L. Flanagan, who watched Casey testify, later told the panel he took "strong exception" to the testimony and called his former personnel chief "very misguided."

Flanagan and other Republicans said the transit agency was due for a shake-up. Flanagan also testified that the agency had prevailed in the EEOC complaint, though he could not say whether the agency had won on the merits or on procedural grounds.

Afterward, he said in an interview that several problems, including the suspension of criminal background checks, were the result of Casey's misunderstanding of department policy. Once that was cleared up, checks were performed on all the previously hired employees, Flanagan said.

Later, the panel heard from Sandra Guthorn, who said she resigned as acting people's counsel after being ordered to fire one of the top staff attorneys, Paula Carmody.

For the most part, Republican members of the committee said they doubted the worth of the enterprise. House Minority Leader George C. Edwards (Garrett) told Casey: "You've not convinced me that anyone did anything inappropriate here."

Members voted to extend the inquiry until at least Jan. 31, with the possibility of 20 more witnesses to talk about firing practices.

Staff writer Ray Rivera contributed to this report.