Statement on Maryland Supreme Court Decision Removing Aaron Penman from the Harford County Council

The Harford County administration issued the following statement in response to today’s ruling by Maryland’s highest court, which effectively affirmed that Aaron Penman is and has been ineligible for a seat on the Harford County Council due to his simultaneous employment as a sheriff’s deputy, in clear violation of the county charter. Harford, like most Maryland counties, prohibits such dual employment because it creates an obvious conflict of interest for council members charged with oversight of county spending on the sheriffs’ office and other state offices. The decision by the Maryland Supreme Court affirmed a ruling by the Circuit Court of Harford County and required Penman to pay court costs.

Penman told voters prior to his election that he would retire from the sheriff’s office if elected to the county council. After he was elected, Penman reversed his stance and took a new position with the sheriff’s office. In response, the Cassilly administration called on Council President Vincenti and council members to uphold the charter and remove Penman from the council. Because the council failed to uphold the charter, the Cassilly administration filed a lawsuit seeking Penman’s removal from the county council. Maryland’s highest court agreed with the Cassilly administration’s longstanding position that Section 207 of the Harford County Charter clearly prohibits Penman from simultaneously serving on the county council while employed by the sheriff’s office.

Prior to the court’s ruling, Penman illegally rushed through the council several bills, including a charter amendment intended to greatly expand the power of the deputies’ union and other county-funded employees of the state government to influence the county budget process. Those bills have now been invalidated by the Maryland Supreme Court’s ruling that Penman was not a legitimate member of the Harford County Council when he introduced those bills.

A copy of the court’s order is attached.