State Sen. Ulysses Currie, the subject of a federal investigation into alleged influence-peddling, acted as a liaison between top-ranking Cabinet members of the past two administrations and Shoppers Food Warehouse, newly released documents show.
In one instance, Currie, who earned more than $200,000 over five years in a previously undisclosed consulting job with the grocery chain, wrote on his legislative stationery to former Shoppers Chief Executive Officer William J. White in September 2003 that he had spoken with James C. "Chip" DiPaula Jr., budget secretary in the Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. administration at the time, about Mondawmin Mall, where Shoppers planned to invest millions of dollars. Currie wrote that DiPaula was working with the Rouse Co., which owned the mall property then.
The documents show that Currie also met with the economic development secretaries under both Ehrlich and Gov. Martin O'Malley, and with Ehrlich's transportation secretary, Robert L. Flanagan. The meetings represent the highest-level government contacts disclosed yet in Currie's efforts on Shoppers' behalf.
The letter referring to Currie's discussion with DiPaula, which was turned over to federal authorities and made public yesterday under open-records laws, doesn't specify the nature of the budget secretary's talks with Rouse. But previously disclosed documents have shown that Currie intervened several times in recent years on behalf of Shoppers when it was seeking public financing and other concessions as part of the West Baltimore mall's redevelopment. A Shoppers store opened at Mondawmin last year.
"I have spoken to Chip DiPaula and he is working with Mondawmin Mall. He is working with Rouse but needs a little more time," Currie wrote. He also thanked White for a donation to Head Start, an educational program with which Currie has been affiliated.
The FBI's public corruption squad is investigating whether Shoppers paid Currie to use the prestige of his office to secure favorable legislation and actions by state agencies. Currie did not disclose his employment as required in ethics filings with the state.
Currie also met in early 2004 with Aris Melissaratos, then secretary of the Department of Business and Economic Development, about the Mondawmin Mall project. According to a written account, White and other Shoppers employees attended the meeting in the Senate office building to ask for $2 million in public subsidies. Melissaratos turned down that request but said he would talk to city officials to see if more could be done.
