Posted on 05/19/2005 3:04:08 AM PDT by conservative in nyc
BALTIMORE - The mayor Wednesday accused Gov. Robert Ehrlich of "cowardly abuse of power," saying he's using a dirty tricks campaign to keep alive rumors of the mayor's alleged infidelity.
An Ehrlich spokeswoman called the accusations "ridiculous, unfounded, groundless."
The rumor mill began churning in February, when The Washington Post reported an Ehrlich aide was posting rumors on the Internet that Mayor Martin O'Malley had an extramarital affair.
The Democratic mayor - a possible rival for the governor's mansion in Maryland in 2006 - denounced the allegations as "despicable lies" and the Republican governor fired the aide.
The story flared up again Wednesday, however, when WBAL-AM in Baltimore reported on the contents of e-mails that O'Malley's brother-in-law wrote to the mayor's staff about a 2000 story in the Post. The e-mails were provided to the radio station by the administration in response to a public records request.
In the 2000 story, the mayor's wife, Catherine Curran O'Malley, said she was glad her husband was quoted as saying he's "the luckiest guy" because of his marriage. She said such remarks help "offset the rumors," noting opponents dating to O'Malley's time on the City Council have circulated rumors "he's been running around on me for years."
J. Joseph Curran, a member of the state Public Service Commission and Catherine O'Malley's brother, wrote several e-mails to the city's first deputy mayor after The Post story.
"I think we need to get the First Lady a press secretary. What's this business about telling reporters that Martin is running around," he wrote in one of the e-mails obtained by WBAL-AM. "Part of the Deputies' jobs should be getting Martin home with the kids - I fear the worst."
Asked at a City Hall news conference about the WBAL-AM story, the mayor said Wednesday "someone in state government" steered the radio station toward the e-mails.
Curran issued a written statement saying someone "rifled through" his e-mails looking for dirt "that, when taken out of context, would hurt and embarrass me, my sister and our family."
Shareese DeLeaver, a spokeswoman for Ehrlich, said the administration provided the e-mails in response to a Public Information Act request. "The administration and Governor Ehrlich will not respond to the day-to-day finger-pointing and whining of Mayor O'Malley," she said.
Mark Miller, news director for WBAL-AM, declined to disclose what prompted the Public Information Act request.
MD4Bush Ping!
Mayor O'Malley wants to run for Governor and no one in the state ever heard of him so he is trying to keep his name out there with this stupid story. Baltimore misses the Millions Glendening was feeding them by depriving the rest of the state of funds. Screw O'Malley and Baltimore too.
There is no such thing as bad publicity for a politician.
The Gov. did not start rumors nor did his staff. The rumor mills operate in every state house, bar and dining room and America. The Mayor should just be a good family man, do his job to the best of his ability and shut up. Protesting a rumor is not really smart. He ought to get some therapy.
Well well well....
O'Malley ran around alot with Ex Chief of Police Eddie Norris, didnt he? (Before Norris went down for dipping into the slush fund) Anyway, the girls on the side thing is probably true given the company he was keeping.....
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