Republican Meeting To Discuss County Executive Process

The public is invited to ask questions and speak with potential candidates on Thursday night at the library in Odenton.

The West County Republican Club will host a special meeting on Thursday to discuss the process of appointing a new county executive in Anne Arundel County. The event is open to the public and will start at 6 p.m. Thursday at the West County Library in Odenton. According to the club's Facebook page, the appointment process will be discussed and there may be an opportunity for candidates to "interact with the public and respond to Republican questions." The Capital reported attendees will include Sen. Ed Reilly (R-Crofton) as moderator; Kendel Ehrlich, wife of former Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr.; Del. Steve Schuh (R-Gibson Island) and 2012 U.S. Senate candidate Dan Bongino. In an email to Patch last week, Bongino said he was "strongly …

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POLL: Did Leopold Do the Right Thing by Resigning?

The county council was prepared to oust him from office.

John R. Leopold's stint as Anne Arundel County Executive is over.  The Pasadena Republican stepped down from the office on Friday, three days after being found guilty on two counts of misconduct.  In some ways, Leopold was likely hastening the inevitable, as the county council had schedule a vote for Monday on whether to remove him from office. He was already suspended immediately after the guilty verdict.  Members of the county council said Friday that they were pleased by the resignation because it will allow them to take the next steps toward finding a replacement. What do you think? Should Leopold have resigned, or should he have waited for the council to vote?  (Full disclosure: Patch readers were asked in March whether Leopold should…

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Attorney Urges County Council to Postpone Removal of Executive

The county attorney calls the bill to permanently remove the Anne Arundel county executive "premature, because sentencing has not occurred.”

The Anne Arundel County Council introduced legislation that would remove County Executive John R. Leopold from his office, but the county’s attorney said such a decision is may be too hasty. The council cast no vote at its emergency session on Wednesday afternoon, but introduced Bill 7-13, which would declare a vacancy in the executive’s position. The bill draws on a provision recently added to the county's charter after its passage in the November general election. Leopold was found guilty on two counts of misconduct in office on Tuesday. Chief Administrative Officer John Hammond is now serving as acting Anne Arundel county executive as a result of the suspension of Leopold from his duties.  County Attorney Jonathan Hodgson argued that …

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Executive's Job on the Line in Emergency Vote by Council

Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold could be permanently removed from office by a county council vote Wednesday.

The Anne Arundel County Council will meet in an emergency session Wednesday afternoon to introduce legislation that would declare a vacancy in the county executive's office. The emergency session notice came Tuesday, shortly after the verdict was read in the trial for County Executive John R. Leopold. Based on recent charter amendments, the county council can declare a vacancy if an executive is found guilty and convicted of a felony or a crime involving moral turpitude, misfeasance or malfeasance in office. Chief Administrative Officer John Hammond is now serving as acting Anne Arundel county executive as a result of the suspension of Leopold from his duties. The Maryland Constitution provides for suspension of an elected official upon a …

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ACLU Sues County Executive Over 'Enemies List'

Maryland's American Civil Liberties Union says it wants to see the dossiers the County Executive John Leopold allegedly compiled against 11 people.

POLL: Who Should Pay Legal Fees for County Exec?

Patch wants to know whether you think taxpayers should pay more than $20,000 for County Executive John Leopold's defense against his discrimination lawsuit.

Attorneys are busy working on a defense strategy for Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold—and taxpayers are the ones paying the legal bills, according to a report from WBFF FOX45. Patch previously reported that Leopold and the county are currently facing potentially costly litigation involving former employees accusing the county executive of official misconduct and gender discrimination. According to WBFF FOX45, Leopold's private attorneys for the federal discrimination lawsuit cost up to $450 an hour and the bill is already more than $20,000 for two weeks of work. The Anne Arundel County Council has discussed Leopold's situation. Patch reported that Councilman Jamie Benoit (D-4th District) said Leopold's court case has become a …

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patricia

7:50 am on Tuesday, January 22, 2013

How about this, if he's found guilty he should pay all legal fees. If he's found not guilty, then the people who filed the charges against him should pay, and he should be allowed to file a counter lawsuit against them. This way the trial lawyers and the unions would think twice about wasting time and money on smearing people.   more ›

County Exec Calls for Cybersecurity Funding on 9/11

As first responders and community members gathered for a moment of silence on the 11th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, Anne Arundel's county executive focused on what he said he sees as the next great threat.

Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold focused his remarks at a 9/11 memorial on Tuesday on the importance of cybersecurity. "Cyberterrorism will shut down our electrical grids, shut down our air-traffic-control system, shut down our financial networks," Leopold said. "We spend $4 billion on cyberdefense in this country, which is less than what we spend on agricultural subsidies. We need to do more." He called Anne Arundel County the epicenter of national security effort to combat cyberterrorism because of U.S. Cyber Command at Fort Meade.  In 2011, Patch reported on an increase in congestion around Fort Meade as thousands of new workers commuted to the area on a daily basis. And in 2012, discrepancies between how the White House …

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County Executive's Trial Postponed Until 2013

A judge ruled Thursday that the case against John R. Leopold, originally scheduled for next month, will not be heard until next year.

UPDATE (1:45 p.m.)—Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold will have to wait at least two months longer for his trial, after a court filing was approved Thursday. Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Judge Paul A. Hackner approved postponing Leopold's trial between two months, and possibly up to 2013, so that his defense has more time to prepare, according to The Baltimore Sun. Leopold was indicted by a grand jury in March for four counts of misconduct and one count of financial malfeasance. The Baltimore Sun reported that in court on Thursday, Leopold's attorney Bruce Marcus argued that the defense was looking into the conduct of other officials in Maryland, particularly how they handle security. Leopold's private security team, …

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Amy Leahy

12:31 pm on Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Joseph we do have term limits in Anne Arundel County. And Leopold's actions are his own and should NOT reflect on the many dedicated employees and other elected officials we have.   more ›