Maryland Flags to Fly at Half-Staff for Late Governor

Former Maryland Gov. Marvin Mandel – who changed state government by pushing for the addition of a lieutenant governor position – is being remembered as a transformative leader by officials from both parties.

Mandel, 95, died Sunday after spending the weekend visiting with his family and the family of his former wife, Jeanne Dorsey Mandel, while celebrating the 50th birthday of their son Paul Dorsey, the family said in a statement.

Gov. Larry Hogan on Monday ordered flags to fly at half-staff in honor of the former governor, and offered his condolences to the Mandel family.

“The state of Maryland lost not only a former governor but also a truly great leader and someone countless people thought of as a friend, including myself,” Hogan said. “I will be forever grateful for the advice, wisdom, and stories Governor Mandel has shared with me throughout the years.

“No other governor has had the lasting impact on all three branches of Maryland government.”

Official funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.

Mandel, a Baltimore native, held elective office for 28 years. The Democrat served as the 56th governor of Maryland from 1969 to 1979. As the speaker of the House of Delegates, Mandel was picked to become governor after the resignation of former Gov. Spiro Agnew to serve as President Richard Nixon’s vice president, and then was elected to two terms.

Mandel’s political career was marred by a 1975 indictment and later conviction on federal charges of mail fraud and racketeering, reports WBAL TV. Prosecutors said Mandel accepted more than $350,000 in cash and gifts in exchange for pushing through legislation to benefit the owners of the Marlboro Race Track in Prince George’s County.

Mandel, who consistently denied the charges, was tried twice. The first trial was dismissed because of allegations of jury tampering. Mandel was convicted in a second trial and served 19 months of a four-year sentence in federal prison. President Ronald Reagan commuted the sentence in 1981 and a federal court later overturned Mandel’s conviction.

Mandel later practiced law in Annapolis.

»Photo of former Gov. Marvin Mandel, left, and Gov. Larry Hogan, from Hogan’s Facebook page