Prominent Ties Among Comcast Hires

"Steve Burch is no longer employed by Comcast," said Jim Gordon, a company spokesman. "We are not in a position to comment on decisions made by or relationships entered into by former employees."

Burch responded in an e-mail that said: "To the extent I was involved in these decisions, my actions were appropriate, known to Comcast, and in compliance with Comcast policies."

Comcast's affiliation with Bromwell, the former chairman of the finance committee, has drawn scrutiny from federal investigators. The company received a subpoena in 2003 in connection with the probe that led to Bromwell's indictment in October on corruption and fraud charges, Comcast officials said. They said the company has been assured it is not a target of any probe.

Public officials working on the Comcast payroll say they have been careful to recuse themselves from votes involving the company.

That was the case in 2000, when Comcast was involved in talks with the University of Maryland, seeking a long-term contract to provide cable service in student residences and negotiating for naming rights to a basketball arena. At the same time, the company had a contract with the public relations firm run by David H. Nevins, a member of the board that oversees the university system.

A year after the $20 million deal for naming rights was struck, Comcast tapped Nevins to be president of its newly acquired regional sports network, Comcast SportsNet. He held that post until 2004.

Nevins, who now chairs the Board of Regents, has recused himself from votes related to Comcast, according to ethics filings.

His decision to accept the job at the sports network, though, might violate state ethics law. Ethics Commission Executive Director Suzanne S. Fox said she could not comment on specific cases but noted that the law says a regent "may not have a financial interest in or be employed by an entity having or negotiating a contract with" the university, unless that relationship existed prior to his appointment.

Nevins said his conduct was proper because his initial contract with Comcast predated his joining the board. "While I took on an additional role with them, it did not change my responsibility to continue to recuse myself from those Board matters, which I always did," he said in an e-mail.

Even so, at a time when Nevins headed the regents' finance committee, his public relations firm continued to represent Comcast in its dealings with College Park, negotiating placement of signs and logos at the arena, Nevins said. "Recusal means from the U of M board, not from my own business," he said.

Another regent, lawyer Leronia A. Josey, found an unusual way to satisfy the ethics requirement when Burch contacted her about a job in 2000, one year after she had joined the board.

"I had to resign, and then I was reappointed," Josey said, describing the maneuver that allowed her to become a regional director of government and community relations. The former regent, who now consults with Comcast, said she did not even miss a meeting.