Former Hogan officials rebut housing attacks: ‘It never happened’

We, the undersigned senior officials of the Hogan administration, would like to respond to the politically motivated attacks and unfounded allegations related to affordable housing projects approved during Gov. Larry Hogan’s two terms in office. These election-season political attacks are a direct assault on the integrity not only of Governor Hogan but all who served in our administration, especially the career public servants who actually made the decisions regarding affordable housing grants.

Each of us served in senior positions in the administration, and collectively, from beginning to end, not one of us ever witnessed a single instance where Governor Hogan attempted to influence policy decisions at any level of government to benefit his business. It never happened and the people of Maryland deserve to know the facts.

Governor Hogan played no role in agency-level affordable housing funding award decisions, and all awards in question approved through the Board of Public Works had the unanimous support of the comptroller and treasurer — both of whom were members of the opposite party during the entirety of the Hogan administration.

Governor Hogan followed the advice and counsel of the Maryland Ethics Commission and disclosed his business interests, placing his assets in a trust under terms dictated by the Ethics Commission that was set up to ensure he had no knowledge of or involvement in any matters related to his family’s small business.

Governor Hogan proudly supported historic increases in funding for affordable housing, providing 28,000 new housing units for working families. He did so because Marylanders were struggling and continue to face difficulty in achieving the American dream of home ownership. This common-sense policy helped everyday Marylanders and had widespread support across the political spectrum. The fact that this would be politicized a few weeks before an election speaks volumes about all that is wrong with politics today.

Marylanders are smart enough to know the facts and know that Governor Hogan has always acted to uphold the public trust. We are proud to have been part of an administration where ethical conduct was consistently prioritized with the most rigorous of standards as a result of his strong leadership.

Signed, Boyd Rutherford, ninth lieutenant governor of Maryland; Kenneth Holt, former Housing and Community Development secretary; David Brinkley, former Budget and Management secretary

Dennis Schrader, former Health secretaryBobby Neall, former Health secretaryJeannie Haddaway-Riccio, former Natural Resources secretary; Thomas Kelso, former Maryland Stadium Authority chairman; Sam Malhotra, former chief of staff

Matthew Clark, former chief of staff; Amelia Chasse Alcivar, former chief of staff; Christopher Shank, former chief legislative officer and senior advisor; Ron Gunzburger, former senior advisor; Martin Madden, former senior advisor; Amanda Crim, former deputy chief of staff; Walter F. “Pete” Landon, former deputy chief of staff; Allison Mayer, former deputy chief of staff; Sean Powell, former deputy chief of staff; Stephen Schatz, former deputy chief of staff; Douglass Mayer, former communications director; Michael Ricci, former communications director; Kara Bowman Borcz, former public affairs director; Ariel Guffin, former federal relations director; Kristal Hartsfield, former intergovernmental affairs director; Ryan Snow, former intergovernmental affairs director; J. Hunter Pickels, former Housing and Community Development chief policy officer; Kyle McColgan, former Department of Commerce chief of staff

Williams is a bit heavy on quotes

I will defend to the death the right of Armstrong Williams, part owner of The Baltimore Sun, to express his opinions.

But I challenge him to write one column without resorting to “Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations.”

— Wes Michael, Towson

The war will end when Hamas surrenders

A reader asked when this forsaken war will end (“When will this godforsaken war end?” Oct. 17). Well, my answer is this forsaken war will end when Hamas, which started the war, returns its hostages and surrenders just as the Germans and Japanese who started World War II surrendered.

— Jack Kinstlinger, Towson