Embattled Former County Executive John Leopold Running For House

ANNAPOLIS, MD — One-time Anne Arundel County Executive and former Delegate John Leopold — who served 30 days in jail for misconduct in office after he was convicted of forcing employees to empty the catheter bag he used after back surgery and made police remove an opponent's signs — has filed candidacy papers to run for the House of Delegates. Leopold, 74, lives in Pasadena, and is seeking the Republican nomination for district 31B in the June primary.

In 2013 Leopold was found guilty of misconduct in office for using his security detail for political activity and for making a secretary and members of his police detail empty his urine catheter bag. The judge called it "simply outrageous" and an example of "overbearing arrogance." But Leopold was acquitted of spending $10,000 in overtime pay to use members of security detail for his benefit. He also was acquitted of using some of that overtime money to conceal a personal relationship with a woman.

The Pasadena politician served as a member of the House of Delegates from 1983-90, and again from 1995 to 2006. While he represented District 31 then, the boundaries have since changed, although the district still includes part of his previous territory.

He served as Anne Arundel County Executive from 2006-2013, when he resigned following his misconduct convictions.

Leopold is running for an open seat in the two-delegate district against House Minority Leader Nic Kipke and Brian Chisholm of Severna Park, reports the Capital-Gazette. Democrat Harry Freeman of Pasadena has also filed to run; the filing deadline is Tuesday.

His convictions on two counts of misconduct were upheld by the Maryland Court of Special Appeals in 2014. But the ruling noted that Leopold hadn't been convicted of a felony, so the court struck down a part of his sentence that prevented him from running for office while on probation.

"Leopold has not been convicted of a felony or of buying or selling votes, nor is he under guardianship for mental disability, thus qualifying him to be a registered voter" and therefore eligible to run for office, Judge Alexander Wright Jr. wrote in the court's opinion, reports The Baltimore Sun.

On March 14, 2013, the Republican politician was sentenced to 30 days in jail, community service, five years of probation and a $100,000 fine.

Prosecutors and witnesses said during the trial that Leopold ordered his taxpayer-funded police protection detail to collect contributions from donors and compile dossiers on adversaries during his 2010 re-election campaign. The Sun says that at trial allegations were raised that Leopold forced employees to empty urine from the catheter bag he used after back surgery; asked police to deliver his campaign signs and remove an opponent's signs; and ordered police to keep a lookout while he had sexual trysts in the back seat of a car.

PHOTO: Former Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold at the Republican National Convention in 2008. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)