Gerard E. Evans has regained the top spot among Maryland lobbyists a decade after serving a prison term for fraudulent practices.
Evans reported receiving more than $1.2 million in compensation for the year ending Oct. 31. That was enough to nudge out Timothy A. Perry, a former chief of staff to Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert), for No. 1 on the new rankings by the State Ethics Commission.
Evans, who worked as a legislative aide to Miller in the early 1980s and remains close to his old boss, has in recent years rebuilt a healthy stable of clients in Annapolis. Last year, those included the Baltimore Orioles, several health-care-related companies and a number of horse-racing and gambling interests, including Penn National Gaming.
In an interview, Evans downplayed the significance of the new numbers.
“The monetary rankings are meaningless,” Evans said. “They don’t represent the job you’re doing for your client or how you’re perceived by the legislature.”
Evans was convicted on multiple counts of mail and wire fraud in 2000 in a case stemming from accusations of concocting a fictitious legislative threat that he charged clients to lobby against.
As a candidate in 2006, Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) vowed not to do business with either Evans or another lobbyist with a past felony conviction, Bruce Bereano. O’Malley has since lifted the ban.
With reported earnings of $613,091, Bereano was No. 11 on the latest Ethics Commission list.
Other familiar names round out the Top 10, in an order shuffled somewhat from a year ago, when Evans was No. 3. In the most recent rankings, Joel D. Rozner, the previous top-earner, is No. 3, with reported compensation of $1.2 million, just shy of Perry and Evans.
The Top 10 is below.
Reported compensation, Nov. 1, 2009 to Oct. 31, 2011
1) Evans, Gerard E.: $1,232,000.00
2) Perry, Timothy A.: $1,217,793.18
3) Rozner, Joel D.: $1,215,161.23
4) Shaivitz, Robin F.: $1,156,368.59
5) Proctor Jr., Gregory S.: $1,107,144.00
6) Stierhoff, John R.: $1,059,766.70
7) Johansen, Michael V.: $1,050,234.26
8) Manis, Nicholas G.: $1,016,250.00
9) Enten, D. Robert: $863,193.00
10) Harris Jones, Lisa: $857,000.00
Source: State Ethics Commission
