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Investigation reveals former chief of staff to Maryland governor abused his position

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Investigation reveals former chief of staff to Maryland governor abused his position


The previous chief of workers to Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan abused his place as chief of the Maryland Environmental Service, partly by arranging for an unprecedented $233,647 severance fee, in accordance with a legislative investigation.

READ MORE: Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s former Chief of Employees indicted for fraud, unlawful wiretapping

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The investigation additionally stated Roy McGrath collected exorbitant private bills and improperly employed shut private associates, The Baltimore Solar reported. Lawmakers introduced the outcomes of the investigation Friday in an 82-page report detailing McGrath’s conduct and recommending that MES search monetary restitution for cash McGrath and his affiliate Matthew Sherring spent on actions irrelevant to their jobs.

Senate President Invoice Ferguson known as the report “deeply troubling on all ranges.”

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“Mr. McGrath’s conduct and flouting of long-established guidelines and insurance policies to counterpoint himself and dependable mates is past the pale of what we count on of our public servants,” stated Ferguson, a Baltimore Democrat, in a press release.

Home Speaker Adrienne Jones, a Baltimore County Democrat, stated the conduct outlined within the report “dissolves the general public’s belief in our whole system of presidency and may by no means be tolerated.”

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PAST COVERAGE: June trial date set for former aide to Maryland governor

“The committee’s work to uncover this egregious conduct was step one in rebuilding that belief, and we hope that remaining questions on Mr. McGrath’s conversations with the Hogan administration will finally be answered,” she stated.

McGrath resigned in August 2020 after criticism for accepting the severance bundle when he left the environmental service to work within the governor’s workplace. He spent 11 weeks as chief of workers to Hogan earlier than experiences of his severance bundle surfaced.

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In October 2021, McGrath was indicted. Among the many allegations, he was accused of utilizing funds from the Maryland Environmental Service to pay a private pledge to a museum and acquired the company to pay tuition bills for a category after he left his job as govt director. He additionally recorded conversations with senior state officers with out their consent, it stated.

The federal and state prices allege that in 2019 and 2020, McGrath personally enriched himself through the use of his positions of belief to get the company to make funds to him. The indictment alleges that McGrath acquired the company’s board to approve a $233,647 severance fee — equal to 1 yr’s wage — by falsely telling them the governor authorized the fee.

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When Hogan questioned McGrath concerning the bundle, McGrath falsely informed him that the board provided him the severance in accordance with its regular follow, the indictment stated.

The Common Meeting launched a probe quickly after the revelations in 2020. The joint legislative committee wanting into McGrath employed outdoors counsel, collected proof and heard testimony in 2020 and 2021.

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Maryland

Maryland lawmakers introduce legislation to encourage states to adopt handgun license laws

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Maryland lawmakers introduce legislation to encourage states to adopt handgun license laws


Maryland lawmakers introduce legislation to encourage states to adopt handgun license laws – CBS Baltimore

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Maryland lawmakers introduce legislation to encourage states to adopt handgun license laws

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Supreme Court takes up Maryland parents’ bid to opt kids out of lessons with LGBTQ books

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Supreme Court takes up Maryland parents’ bid to opt kids out of lessons with LGBTQ books


Washington — The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to take up a dispute over whether a Maryland school district violated parents’ religious rights when it declined to allow them to opt their elementary school children out of instruction involving storybooks about gender and sexuality.

The dispute centers around a decision by the Montgomery County School Board to end opt-out requests and notice requirements for the reading and discussion of storybooks that feature LGBTQ characters. The case sets up another clash involving LGBTQ rights and religious rights. It’s unclear whether the Supreme Court will hear arguments in its current term, which ends this summer, or its next term that will begin in October.

The books were approved for the Montgomery County Public Schools language-arts curriculum for the 2022-2023 school year as part of an effort to include new material that better represents the school district’s students and families, it said. Montgomery County is Maryland’s largest county and its school system serves more than 160,000 students.

Books introduced for students include titles like “Pride Puppy,” a picture book about a dog that gets lost at a Pride parade, and “Jacob’s Room to Choose,” about two transgender school-aged children.

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Lawyers for the school district said in court filings that the books “impart critical reading skills through engaging, age-appropriate stories,” and the district follows a “careful, public, participatory selection process” to ensure they meet that criteria. The books are made available for individual reading, classroom read-alouds and other educational activities, according to the school district.

After the books were introduced, some parents sought to have their children excused when they were read or discussed. Some of these so-called out-out requests were religious-based and others were not, according to court filings. Lawyers for the board said that while teachers and principals attempted to accommodate the requests, the number grew and raised concerns about student absenteeism, the feasibility of administering opt-outs throughout the district and the “risk of exposing students who believe the storybooks represent them and their families to social stigma and isolation.”

The district then announced in March 2023 that it wouldn’t allow opt-outs from language-arts instruction that involved the storybooks “for any reason.”

The decision sparked backlash from the community, and more than 1,000 parents signed a petition urging the board to reinstate their notice and opt-out requests. Hundreds also attended school board meetings and said they had religious obligations not to subject their children to gender and sexuality instruction that conflicted with their religious beliefs.

Following the school district’s announcement, in May 2023, three sets of parents sued the Montgomery County Board of Education, alleging their First Amendment and due process rights were violated. The lead challengers are Tamer Mahmoud and Enas Barakat, who are Muslim and have a son in elementary school. Also challenging the board’s move are Chris and Melissa Persak, who are Roman Catholic and have two elementary-age children, and Jeff and Svitlana Roman, who are Roman Catholic and Ukrainian Orthodox and have a son in elementary school.

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They sought a court order that would require notice and opt outs when the books were read or discussed. The parents argued their children’s exposure to the books “necessarily establishes the existence of a burden” on their right to freely exercise their religion.

A federal district court denied the request, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit upheld the decision.

The divided three-judge panel found that there was no evidence at that time that the families were compelled to change their religious beliefs or conduct, or what they taught their children.

The parents then appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that the 4th Circuit’s decision effectively requires parents to “surrender their right to direct the religious upbringing of their children by sending them to public schools.”

“Under the Fourth Circuit’s reasoning, parents cannot be heard until after the damage has been done to their children. But there is no unringing that bell — by then, innocence will be lost and beliefs undermined,” they wrote in a filing.

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But the school board urged the Supreme Court to turn away the case.

They said the parents “seek to unsettle a decades-old consensus that parents who choose to send their children to public school are not deprived of their right to freely exercise their religion simply because their children are exposed to curricular materials the parents find offensive.”

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Northwestern beats Maryland 76-74 on Nick Martinelli’s jumper just before the OT buzzer – WTOP News

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Northwestern beats Maryland 76-74 on Nick Martinelli’s jumper just before the OT buzzer – WTOP News


Nick Martinelli made a baseline jumper just before the overtime buzzer to help Northwestern snap a three-game losing streak with a 76-74 victory over Maryland on Thursday night.

Northwestern forward Nick Martinelli (2) celebrates with teammates after scoring the winning basket during overtime of an NCAA college basketball game against Maryland in Evanston, Ill., Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)(AP/Nam Y. Huh)

EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) — Nick Martinelli made a baseline jumper just before the overtime buzzer to help Northwestern snap a three-game losing streak with a 76-74 victory over Maryland on Thursday night.

Northwestern led 64-56 with 4:43 left in regulation before Maryland closed on an 11-2 run, capped by Ja’Kobi Gillespie’s layup with 6.9 seconds left to tie it at 68-all. Northwestern guard Brooks Barnhizer had a layup hit off the back iron at the other end and Derik Queen secured the defensive rebound.

In overtime, Gillespie made a layup with 6.9 seconds left to tie it at 74-all and he poked it away from Ty Berry at the other end. The ball deflected off Maryland forward Julian Reese, giving Northwestern possession with 0.7 seconds left.

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Martinelli broke free on a screen and sank a runner in front of the Northwestern bench as his teammates came onto the court to celebrate.

Martinelli finished with 22 points for Northwestern (11-6, 2-4 Big Ten). Barnhizer had 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, and Berry scored 15.

Reese led Maryland (13-5, 3-4) with 23 points. Gillespie added 14, Rodney Rice had 13 and Queen grabbed 14 rebounds to go with nine points. The Terrapins were hurt by 16 turnovers.

There were 11 lead changes and nine ties in the first half that ended with Northwestern leading 38-37 after Martinelli beat the buzzer with a shot in the lane. The game finished with 16 ties and 15 lead changes.

Maryland hosts Nebraska on Sunday, while Northwestern plays at No. 20 Michigan.

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