Politics & Government

Anne Arundel County Executive Indicted

County Executive John Leopold was indicted Friday on multiple charges after more than a year of speculation and investigation into misconduct allegations.

Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold's political opponent in 2010 reacted angrily to charges that the that include using police officers to trash her campaign signs during the election,

"It restores my faith in the Democratic process," said Joanna Conti, the Democrat who ran against Leopold in the 2010 election. "It's important that we hold our elected officials accountable for their actions.

"If these allegations are true," she added, "he is not fit to hold office and should resign immediately."

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Conti reacted to the information contained in the indictment about some of Leopold's alleged conduct. According to a press release from the Maryland State Prosecutor's office, Leopold is accused of ordering county police officers to drive him to locations throughout the county where he would pick up and discard Conti's campaign signs.

The officers also picked up and deposited campaign contributions while on duty and kept dossiers on Leopold's political opponent, the indictment alleges. In addition, the indictment alleges that officers frequently drove Leopold to parking lots where he would engage in sexual activity with another county employee in a separate vehicle. 

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"I find it outrageous that he asked trained police officers to wait while he had sex and empty his catheter," she said.

In addition, Conti said it was "pathetic" that Leopold also had his drivers pull over to remove her signs during the campaign.

"He was throwing away the signs," she said, adding that the signs were reportedly thrown in a ravine and the woods.

County Councilman Jamie Benoit (D-4th District), a former attorney, said that he was most alarmed by the fraud charge, which could result in Leopold facing jail time if convicted.

“A fraud charge is really serious business," Benoit said.


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