The Baltimore Sun this morning reported that the Maryland Attorney General's office has initiated an ethics probe concerning O'Malley's "bargain basement" purchase of furniture, acquired when he was governor at taxpayer's expense, violated Maryland regulations on the disposition of state owned property.
Just before vacating the governor's mansion this past January, O'Malley and his wife purchased furniture in the governor's mansion, that had cost the taxpayers $62,000, for $9,638. Maryland regulations prohibit "inside" sales of state owned property to government officials, without solicitation of bids or public auctions. An O'Malley spokesperson defended the sale, claiming the furniture, all of which had been purchased by the state after O'Malley had moved into the governor's mansion in January 2007, was junk. Incoming Republican governor Larry Hogan stated that he had visited the governor's mansion a number of times during the transition period between his election as governor and his inauguration in January, and had seen the mansion filled with furniture, but, two weeks later when he moved in, whole rooms were empty, and he had to bring in furniture from his own house. None of these bargain basement sales involved antique, historical furniture, maintained in the areas of the governor's mansion open to public viewing.
Before the Bernie Sanders boom, O'Malley had been a favorite among a number of the progressive Kosnicks here. O'Malley's candidacy has not taken off, and this probe may kill his candidacy. As the Attorney General, Brian Frosh, is a staunch liberal democrat, this probe would not seem to have political motivation.