HoCo Exec Ball Faces Allegations Of Improperly Using County Seal

ELLICOTT CITY, MD — Two complaints have been filed against Howard County Executive Calvin Ball claiming that he used the county seal for political gain, which is a violation of local law. The allegations stem from a 2015 video posted to Ball's political Facebook page in which the then-county councilman discusses his commitment to the Democratic Party while standing in front of the Howard County seal in a hearing room in the George Howard Building in Ellicott City.

A law passed in 2004 makes it illegal for government officials to use the county seal for “any political purpose” including, but not limited to, mailers and handouts.

The Baltimore Sun reached out to Ball regarding the complaints filed.

"We have seen there is a complaint filed, and we are going through the process of evaluating the complaint,” Ball said.

County state’s attorney spokeswoman Yolonda Vazquez told the Baltimore Sun that the alleged infractions would likely never lead to a criminal prosecution, because it is outside the statute of limitations.

Read more at the Baltimore Sun.