Maryland lawmakers logged more than a half-million dollars in political contributions during November's three-week special session, a time when debate over budget and tax issues roused intense lobbying campaigns by special-interest groups, according to an analysis by The Sun.
The list of politicians who recorded donations during the session includes some of the most influential figures in Annapolis, including Gov. Martin O'Malley, whose finance report shows him collecting $78,000 during that period, and Sen. Ulysses Currie, the chairman of the Budget and Taxation Committee, who posted nearly $47,000 in contributions in that time.
Currie and an O'Malley spokesman said that the contributions were related to fundraisers held before the special session but not recorded until weeks later.
Fundraising is illegal during the General Assembly's annual 90-day session but not during special sessions. Before this one began, the legislature's ethics counsel advised against raising money during the session from special interests that might be affected by the bills under consideration.
The data do not allow for a comprehensive calculation of how much various industries contributed, but the finance reports show donations from businesses that were at one time the subject of proposed new taxes, such as landscaping firms and health clubs.
In a memo sent to lawmakers several weeks before the special session began in late October, William G. Somerville, the General Assembly's ethics counsel, cautioned lawmakers against intentionally scheduling fundraisers to coincide with the special session or accepting donations from narrowly defined groups of individuals or entities affected by the legislation being considered.
In an interview, he said he was referring to legislation affecting only gambling interests or specific businesses, for instance, and not broad-based measures such as an income tax increase.
"Legislators are expected to avoid even the appearance of impropriety," Somerville wrote in the memo.
Legislators approved a package of bills to close a projected $1.7 billion budget gap, including an extension of the sales tax to services not previously covered and a measure that put the question of whether to legalize slot machines to a November referendum.
Several lawmakers said their contributions came from fundraisers that had been scheduled months before O'Malley set the starting date for the special session, Oct. 15. Others said some checks were written at events held before the special session but were not recorded until the session was under way.
