Judge to Review Alston, Hall Challenges

Hours before Gov. Martin O’Malley was required to approve the nomination of businessman Greg Hall to replace Del. Tiffany Alston in the House of Delegates, a judge ruled that a full judicial review of the controversy surrounding his appointment should be conducted, reported The Washington Post.

The Washington Post also reported that prior to the judgment, at the request of O’Malley, the Democratic Central Committee held a voice vote and rescinded Hall’s nomination due to his troubled past. About 20 years ago, Hall was a drug dealer involved in a shootout that killed a teenager in Prince Georges County. He also owes several thousand dollars in back taxes.

Hall was nominated by the Prince George’s County delegation to replace Alston after she struck a plea bargain in October on charges of using campaign money to help pay for her wedding. In June, Alston was found guilty of using General Assembly funds to pay a staff person from her law firm.

Prosecutors maintained that she was no longer eligible to serve in the House of Delegates, but Alston and her lawyer disagreed, stating that granting her a probation before judgment nullifies her guilt and leaves her record clean.

Circuit Court Judge C. Philip Nichols Jr., who ordered the review, will hear Alston’s case alongside of Hall’s, reports The Washington Post.

Read the full story on The Washington Post.