But Rohrbaugh did manage to win back more than $3 million in funds stolen from the Baltimore school system. In that case, he exposed the dealings of Gilbert Sapperstein, a longtime liquor license broker, video poker game distributor and former boiler company owner who pleaded guilty in 2005 to bribing a city schools employee in a scheme to pocket millions of dollars in fraudulent work invoices.
"That is definitely one of the high points of Bob's tenure so far," said Trostle, who was the lead prosecutor on the school system case, which netted more than $5 million in payback and forfeitures. He said he will never forget the day that he, with Rohrbaugh at his side, handed a multimillion-dollar check to then-schools Chief Executive Officer Bonnie S. Copeland.
"That felt really good," Trostle said.
FOR THE RECORD - Articles in Sunday's and yesterday's editions of The Sun about the state prosecutor's investigation of Mayor Sheila Dixon misspelled the name of attorney Gerard P. Martin.
The Sun regrets the error.
As the Dixon investigation has intensified, so have complaints that Rohrbaugh is motivated by politics. Dixon is a Democrat, and Rohrbaugh was appointed by Ehrlich, a Republican.
The state Democratic Party has been especially critical of the state prosecutor's attacks on the mayor.
"Rohrbaugh has sent some very disturbing signals in recent weeks," said David Paulson, communications director for the Maryland Democratic Party, which complained that the prosecutor went after St. John for his contributions to Democrats but not those he made to Ehrlich. Paulson said Democrats are watching the state prosecutor for signs that he is "stepping out of bounds."
"We are concerned," Paulson said. "This investigation [into Dixon] has been going on for years, and these questions have been asked and answered." Ehrlich, who appointed Rohrbaugh to a six-year term, said he has no influence over the prosecutor.
"I appointed the guy, and I don't believe I have talked to him since," Ehrlich told WMAR-TV last week. "I think [political favoritism] is not going to be a good angle here. And the facts will be the facts."
For watchdog groups, the state prosecutor is an ally in keeping government honest.
"In general, independence and oversight of authority is crucial in democracy," said Ryan R. O'Donnell, executive director of Common Cause Maryland, a group that advocates for good government and democracy reforms. "That role is being fulfilled."
lynn.anderson@baltsun.com
Sun reporter John Fritze contributed to this article.
