Fired worker testifies in Ehrlich personnel inquiry

AP via Baltimore Sun ^ | 12/13/05 | Tom Stuckey

[conservative in nyc]

A former personnel manager for the Department of Human Resources told a legislative committee today that the Ehrlich administration ordered that some employees in his agency be fired "so supportive Republicans could be put into office."

Thomas Burgess, a Republican who stayed on for about a year after Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. took office, said he was also fired and was told his name was put on a "hit list" because "I had the nerve to recommend that a Democrat be promoted" to a high-ranking position in the department.

The workers who lost their jobs were at-will employees who could be fired without cause, but Burgess said they were mostly long-term employees who did not hold policy-making positions.

--Snip--

Two names that have surfaced previously in the controversy over Ehrlich administration firings --Joseph Steffen and Michelle Lane -- were mentioned by Burgess.

Steffen was an Ehrlich aide who was fired after he acknowledged using the Internet to spread rumors about Mayor Martin O'Malley. Lane also was fired, and later alleged that the administration was spreading rumors about her. The governor, in turn, said she had sent him an e-mail threatening to go public with damaging e-mails she had received from Steffen and described it as a blackmail attempt.

Burgess said Lane was sent to the department at the beginning of the new administration to be a liaison with the governor's office, bringing with her a list of employees that included the initials "DL" next to about 20 names. He said when he asked what "DL" meant, he was told the initials stood for "death list." He did not say how many, if any, of those employees were fired.

--Snip--

Burgess said he and three other high-ranking officials in the department were on a Steffen hit list and were fired.

[conservative in nyc]

MD4Bush Ping!

More at the link.

[nopardons]

Thanks!

[nopardons]

What a bunch of lies, in the excerpted snips. I'll now go read the whole article.

[NavVet]

I don't really see a problem with this. I wish GW would fire 90 percent of State Dept and CIA employees. If a politician can't bring in people that share his agenda, what the heck are elections for.

[jec41]

Good!!! Now go do the CIA

[conservative in nyc]

There is nothing illegal about firing at-will employees, especially politically connected ones.

The Democrats had been in control of the Maryland governor's office for 30+ years before Governor Ehlrich was elected. It's not a coincidence that there were over 7,000 at will employees in various administration positions then. That's a lot of political friends, wives and mistresses who were never culled from the employment rolls in a one party state. Now, the Maryland Democrats are complaining that the spoils are going to the new victor. The problem is they've lost the cake and can no longer eat it too.

[Anti-Bubba182]

Thanks.

[GOP_1900AD]

Thomas Burgess, a RINO?

[Alia]

The workers who lost their jobs were at-will employees who could be fired without cause, but Burgess said they were mostly long-term employees who did not hold policy-making positions.

This doesn't make sense. Sounds like Burgess is trying to "make a case" where none exists.

[usaluver]

Here's what you all may have missed:

"Instead of leaving the state Department of Human Resources, Burgess, who had a daughter in college and a new mortgage, took a five-grade demotion to employee relations officer at the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. A resident of Catonsville, he stayed in that job for two months and then moved to the Baltimore City Department of Public Works as chief of personnel."



This means that Burgess is now working for Baltimore City in a pretty high capacity. Guess who his boss is, therefore? Martin O'Malley.

And now you know ... the rest of the story.

[Alia]

Glad you brought that up AND FROM the article posted beginning this thread.

I smell a rat named Burgess.