The three Republican members of the Baltimore County Council are rejecting calls from their own state party for County Executive Johnny Olszewski to resign.
It stems from reports that question a payment to a retired firefighter, whose brother is a friend of the Democratic county executive.
The state GOP alleges a coverup by the Olszewski administration, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a court case to block the release of documents connected with the payment.
In a statement it called for Olszewski’s resignation “for these unacceptable corrupt decisions and illegal actions.”
Republican Councilman David Marks said he wants an investigation by the county inspector general but not Olszewski’s resignation.
“The Maryland Republican Party never bothered to contact any of us on the County Council,” Marks said. “I don’t believe it’s my place to tell him (Olszewski) to resign,” Marks said.
“I don’t think it’s my place to parrot what the Republican Party says to do,” Marks added.
Through a spokesman, Republican Councilman Wade Kach also rejected the state party’s call for Olszewski’s resignation.
The third Republican on the seven-member council, Todd Crandell, said in a text, “There needs to be a full and transparent investigation before anything as serious as a call for resignation is made.”
Olszewski said he “would not be concerned about such an investigation because I know I uphold the law and I know I operate with integrity in all that I do.”
Baltimore County Inspector General Kelly Madigan would neither confirm nor deny she is looking into the matter.
The story was first reported by The Baltimore Sun and The Baltimore Brew. They reported that the county paid a retired firefighter, Philip Tirabassi, more than $83,000 in a settlement to back out of an agreement that would have increased his pension.
According to the Sun’s reporting, Tirabassi wanted retirement credits from a previous Baltimore City job to count towards his county retirement. But attorneys for the county said that would have violated state law.
Olszewski said a county employee approved the added retirement time without his authorization. That employee no longer works for the county.
In order to get out of that agreement, Olszewski said the county agreed to pay Tirabassi more than $83,000 to avoid a breach of contract suit that he was threatening.
Fred Homan, a former county administrative officer who Olszewski asked to resign after his election in 2018, sued to get documents related to the case. That court case is costing the county more than $500,000.
Marks said personnel issues are complicated.
“When you have a case decided, it sets a precedent for other personnel issues,” Marks said. “So the cost becomes larger and larger.”
On July 1, the council agreed to an additional $200,000 bump to pay outside lawyers in the lawsuit.
“I wish the council had slowed this down a bit, maybe given it more scrutiny,” Marks said.
Olszewski is running against Republican Kim Klacik for Maryland’s Second Congressional District seat. If he is elected, he will step down as county executive with two years remaining on his second four year term.
In a statement, Maryland Republican Party Chairwoman Nicole Beus Harris said, “Johnny Olszewski has no business continuing to serve as Baltimore County Executive, let alone continuing his campaign for Congress. Washington D.C. has enough corruption, the last thing we need is another crooked Democrat Congressman handing out government funds to his friends and supporters.”
Olszewski said the Maryland GOP is seeking to create “political theater.”
Asa Leventhal, Olszewski’s campaign manager said in a statement, “The Maryland Republican Party continues to desperately grasp at straws to find any reason to distract voters from candidates like Kim Klacik, who back the extreme policies of Donald Trump – a convicted felon.”
