A series of robo-calls targeting northern Harford County delegates Donna Stifler and Wayne Norman have prompted another delegate, B. Dan Riley, to seek a state investigation and to offer a reward for the arrest of those involved with making the calls.
At the center of the controversy is the Rt. 40 Republican Club and its president, Stephen Wright, who, while apparently claiming responsibility for the robo-calls, denied anything illegal had been committed.
Though its roots can be traced to unrest in the delegation dating back to last year, this saga began on the afternoon of Feb. 9, odd and anonymous automated telephone messages began calling the homes of northern Harford residents.
Those calls claimed Norman was attacking then-delegation chair Del. Susan McComas and the Republican party and hurting Harford County’s efforts for an elected Board of Education.
Not long thereafter, a second wave of robo-calls attacked Stifler, who represents District 35A along with Norman, in a similar fashion.
Last week, Riley announced he was offering a $250 reward for the arrest and conviction of those responsible for what he called “illegal robo-calls” and launching an investigation into the robo-call messages which have “been used to attack several members of our county’s delegation.”
Riley pointed out the automated telephone calls lack a proper authority line, required for all political advertising and campaigning.
“These cowards must be exposed and our democratic political process preserved,” Riley wrote.
Here is a copy of Riley’s letter:
After sending his letter to Wright, who is also a member of the Harford County Republican Central Committee, the Rt. 40 Republican Club president addressed Riley’s assertions in a letter of his own.
“Please inform me as to how these political messages can be considered ‘attacks.’ The messages are true, are they not?,” Wright wrote.
“Mr. Riley, please explain what law you feel these ‘perpetrators’ who need ‘arrest and conviction’ have violated? I have investigated the matter in depth. There is nothing illegal about the messages. But if you and Wayne Norman, Esq. believe that there is something ‘illegal’ and ‘criminal’ about them, please be precise and let me know and I will inform the Board of Directors of the Rt. 40 Republican Club, Inc., of your position,” he continued.
Below is Wright’s letter, as provided by Riley:
On Thursday, Dan Friedman, Counsel to the General Assembly, weighed in on Riley’s accusations, saying he could not comment directly on the case and the calls, but pointing Riley to a section of the federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act, which reads as follows:
“…all artifical or prerecorded telephone messages (i) shall, at the beginning of the message, state clearly the identity of the business, individual, or other entity initiating the call, and (ii) shall, during or after the message, state clearly the telephone number or address of such business, other entity, or individual.”
Friedman also noted that violations of the act are subject to penalties of $500 to $1,500 and “if willfully and knowingly intended to intimidate voters,” may also violate state electoin laws.
Here is Friedman’s letter:
While no charges have been brought as of posting, delegates have filed complaints with the Attorney General, State Board of Elections, and State prosecutor. The Speaker of the House has also been made aware of the incidents, and investigations are ongoing.
It is amazing that Steve Wright would be involved in something controversial. [sarcasm added]
Anytime there is a battle brewing in Harford County, you can bet that Steve Wright is at the center of it.
So let’s see where Mr. Wright stands.
In his short political career he was appointed to the GOP central committee. He was then brought up on charges and an attempt was made to have him booted from the committee. The general charge – “not playing well with others.”
He then ran for central committee and won. The next central committee was talking about booting him not that long after the election. This was over an investigation into the Aberdeen $100,000 payement to him by his boy Fred Simmons. Wright was treasurer and campaign manager for Simmons. Simmons won and weeks later, Wright got this no-bid contract. Maybe not illegal, but does it pass the smell test. A real political operator would have known better.
Then Wright forms his own club to supposedly support the Republican cause. Now he is paying for robo calls against republicans. I wonder if any Republican elected officials other than Impallaria, McComas, and MacDonough will even talk to this guy.
A short search of Mr. Wright on the MD Judiciary website will reveal dozens of court cases either initiated by or brought against him. The way his letter is written do not be surprised to see him sue someone or many people over this.
There is one big question that we should see an answer to soon. How can a central committee member go after Republicans for not doing exactly what he or she wants them to?
These GOPers are in total disarray right now and it looks like Wright has been the primary source of that all along.
The source of Wright’s issues seems to be a complete and total lack of political manners, grace, or instincts.
The sooner this guy moves to Florida, the better Harford County will be. He terrorized those of us in Aberdeen for a few years and now it looks like he is messing with the entire county.
any way you look at this ‘robo call’ issue, it’s a chicken shit thing to do…and i’ll stand on Steven Wright’s coffee table in cowboy boots covered with horseshit and dance the tango telling him so…
come on…enough of the childish games…we’re in a recession/depression…find another ‘tempest in a teapot’…or get on the game…
damn…it’s why good folks don’t want to run for office.
Actually Hiram, it’s why good people stay away from politicians in general. To paraphrase an old Army buddy: “I’d rather have a sister in a whorehouse than a brother in politics.” Show me an honest man who stays honest in politics and I’ll show yo a guy who ain’t gonna get reelected.
Some of the supporters of these robo calls claim that the calls are just like a blog. They claim people are exercising their 1st amendment rights. Their argument is half right. How do you debate an anonymous robo call? How is your side of the discussion expressed? On a blog, such as the Dagger, people,like RichieC, Vietnam vet, Dave Yansen, Dell, Daddy Rabbit, Phil Dirt, Phil Dirt (wannnabe), Jason,etc. can state their opinion on a topic. You as the reader, can voice your opinion in agreement or disagreement with their statement. How do you do that with a robo call. You can’t.
I repeat what I have said publicly…”A robo call, without an authority line, is cowardly”. You have something to say about someone you should be able to face the music.
Go Dagger!
Dave and Dan…we think alike…our job, Dave, is to keep Dan on the straight and narrow…so far so good…
I’m old school…live my life on the square…keep the faith…it’s all we have
Remember also, people have to willingly choose to click a link or type in an address to get to a website. The robo-calls are deliberately seeking people out, not the other way around.
A better example would be if a website sent out a mass email to everyone in a particular area. They could choose to read it or ignore it – just like picking up the phone when the robo-calls were coming through.
Dan- You’re absolutely right about the cowardly nature of these calls.
If Mr Wright is so stock-certain that the assertions in these calls are correct, and that “There is nothing illegal about the messages,” he should have had no reservations about including a “PAID FOR BY” line either before or after the message.
I don’t have any cowboy boots, or I’d be on that coffee table with HIRAM.
This stuff is akin to fiddling while Rome burns. The Harford Delegation certainly has better things to do…
Well said all. I don’t get offended by robo calls, any more than the guy who wants to sell me aluminum siding for my brick house at supper time. I hang up and move on I’m not going to let the small crap rile me.
Like Hiram, I try to keep my life on the square and meet my fellow man on the level.
Keep up the good work Dan. I don’t know how you do it. Working in the Maryland logic free zone would drive me to drink. (Oh crap I’m already there after one term at the municipal level.
This kind of stuff is what is slowly driving others and folks like me away from the Republican Party.
This Steve Wright guy should be drummed off of that party central committee. Del. Impy should be sent home from Annapolis by District 7 voters in 2010. Both are cancers in Harford County and the Republican Party.
From what I have been told, anyone who has had any dealings with these two always get burned. I also hear that Impy has been known to threaten county planning staff, and he recently used his elected office to settle a personal zoning and permit issue. If that does not smell of corruption, what does?
Elected officials and party leaders need to IGNORE and cast out Wright and Impy. They only have the power of influence that you give them.
The republican party is slowly, being destroyed from with in. we will have to start a new party so the democrat’s will have some body to argue with.
Delegate Riley, robocalls are legal if private funds are used. Aka, if you can’t prove Steve Wright used campaign dollars than give up and put in legislation to change it.
I think it was a lowblow a– thing for Steve to do. But, its not illegal. He does NOT represent most Republicans. He never has. He has an inflated sense of ego, but what is done is done.
I had someone send me the robocalls so I could hear them personally for myself. There was not a single thing in any of the calls that was not factual about what has happened in the Harford Delegation.
And thank you Delegate Riley for voting against the Harford County Delegation in Annapolis running by Roberts Rules of Order for your delegation meetings.
According to Wikipedia’s definition “Robert’s Rules of Order is the informal short title of a book containing rules of order intended to be adopted for use by a deliberative assembly.” And further “it is the most commonly adopted parliamentary authority among societies in the United States.”
Apparently having clearly established rules of procedure and conduct is too much for many of our Harford Delegates, including Mr. Norman, Ms. Stiffler, Mr. Jennings, Mr. Riley, and Ms. James to operate by.
Robert Rules was defeated as the operating procedure of the Harford Delegation. Simple honest question for Delegate Riley, exactly what rules were adopted for the Harford Delegation to run by? The United States has a constitution, a simple baseball game a rule book! The first thing we did as kids on the cow fields here in Harford County was establish what was fair and what was foul during a scratch baseball game. As our elected representatives for Harford County in Annapolis what is your adopted rule book?
Much is being made about a very small matter. TRoberts Rules or no Roberts Rules. The Harford County delegation is not a group that can enact laws. That is up to the entire General Assembly and there are rules of procedure for that body. This is all centered around the fact that Mccomas and Impallarria got kicked out. Shouldn’t that be up to the delegation. The other question is why would these two even want to lead a group that does not want them?
The real problem with these Robo Calls is that they were done by Republicans against other Republicans. They have also helped make a public spectical of this whole thing. and further diminished what little reputation the delegation had in the legislature.
They may have been accurate, but the lack of notice about who made them was wrong. It was cowardly and has caused great harm to our county.
Ironically (According to the AG) these calls complain about lack of rules while violating various laws and regulations. Can Steve Wright spell “hypocrisy.”
The robocalls are illegal. DoTheDew, the Attorney General disagrees with you. Paid campaigning for or against an issue or candidate can only be done through a PAC or PC, which requires registering with the state. No PAC or PC can conduct activity without an authority line. Since the calls were made, and they had no authority line, either (1) a PAC or PC illegally failed to put in an authority line or (2) someone illegally failed to register a PAC or PC AND illegally failed to put in an authority line.
That’s just state election law… it also violates federal laws on telemarketing. Just as importantly, the calls are idiotic.
I may have misspoken about Delegate Jennings voting against the use of Roberts Rules of Order for the Harford Delegation. But then it is so confusing, first Delegate Norman voted for having concrete rules of procedure, and then he voted against them. Delegate Jennings voted for Robert Rules the first time, I thought he voted against them the second time but I may be mistaken.
Delegate Riley can you direct me to the Secretary of the Delegation so I can be provided with minutes of the meeting so I can see how my delegates actually voted on having established rules of procedure and conduct? I and others took off one Friday in the height of this controversy and made the trip to Annapolis to get oriented on the issues, only to find a note attached to the Harford Delegation Meeting Room door announcing that the meeting had been postponed. Minutes would be helpful to establish the record.
As one poster said, “Much is being made about a very small matter. TRoberts Rules or no Roberts Rules”. I will once again revert back to my childhood and say even “The Little Rascals”, you know those childhood characters Spanky, Buckwheat, Alfalfa, etc., had rules in their infamous “He Man Woman Haters Club”. Certainly a delegation that includes grown lawyers can accomplish the same as a group of loveable young kids.
Dear Camped Along The Gunpowder,
Please call the Harford County Delegation at 1-800-492-7122 ext 3289 and leave your address and request for minutes/rules and we will either send them to you or post them. Nice thing about a blog is you can make a comment aonoymously and get a reply. Try that with a robo call.
FYI Most, if not all the delegations, use their own set of rules. Do not beleive any delegation uses Roberts Rules. Our delegation followed rules of previous Harford County delegations. Due to recent events we all agreed to have the rules written out and to be subject to comments and or changes. Approval of the rules was postponed a week. This was done to accomidate Delegate James whose mom passed away this week.
Keep in mind that there are a whole slew of people lining up to run for these seats who are 1) qualified, 2) hard-working, 3) untainted by this spectacle. Give them a listen, they might have something to say that is worth hearing.
Camped Along the Gunpowder
Your entry, #12, mentioned “you had someone send you the robo calls”. That is interesting. The calls were sent out anonymously and over a period of weeks. I guess you got lucky and contacted the maker(s) of the robo calls. Right or wronge
Dear, I Plead the 7th….. I hope you are right! Tell those folks who are lining up to make themselves more known. Please!!
I find it amazing that with the all of the problems facing the County, State and Nation — including a recession, two foreign wars and terrorism — “Camped Along’s” #1 issue is…. Whether Harford County’s Delegates — all seven of them — use Robert’s Rules of Order during their internal meetings. Come on!
Lord, I hope that with all of the calamities facing their constituents, our Legislators aren’t bogged down over such procedural gobbledygook.
Doubting Republican, don’t doubt! In the 7th, we’ve got two people that I think are really giving it a good look, Marilyn Booker and Steve Kline. I know both, and I think they would be great. Of course, Mike Geppi is also weighing his options. John Cluster has announced down in Baltimore County, and I think Ric Metzgar is looking to make some trouble for the Dems down in the 6th.
All in all, we’ve got some refreshing candidates coming down the pike. If the voters do their homework, they will be pleased.