Baltimore County Councilman Kenneth N. Oliver was indicted yesterday on felony theft charges involving the personal use of campaign funds, the state prosecutor's office said.
Oliver, a 63-year-old Randallstown Democrat elected to the council in 2002, wrote two checks for $2,000, one to his wife and another to himself, from his campaign account, according to the indictment announced by State Prosecutor Robert A. Rohrbaugh. If convicted of the two theft charges, Oliver could face 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000.
A Baltimore County grand jury also indicted Oliver on six counts alleging he violated other election laws requiring submission of receipts and keeping of separate account books for petty cash. The maximum penalty for those charges is one year in prison and fines of up to $25,000 for each violation.
After a council meeting last night, Oliver briefly addressed a group of reporters. "This is a difficult time for me and my family," he said, reading from a printed statement. "I can assure you that I have done nothing wrong. I am confident that I'll be found innocent when I have my day in court."
Oliver then thanked his family and friends for "their expressions of concern" and left the council chambers without answering questions.
One of his council colleagues, Kevin Kamenetz, said Oliver "has been very stoic" throughout the investigation into his finances. Nevertheless, Kamenetz said, Oliver is upset about the indictments.
"I've always reminded my colleagues of the importance of holding ourselves to the highest ethical standards," said Kamenetz, a lawyer. "That being said, Councilman Oliver is innocent until proven guilty."
If Oliver were to be convicted, he would be forced to give up his council seat, as required by the county charter. The council is powerless to vote him off the panel.
"The council has no role in the process," Kamenetz said. "It's strictly in the courts, which is where a decision like this should be made."
T. Bryan McIntire, the council's elder statesman and a former state's attorney in Carroll County, said, "I'm a lawyer, and I don't butt into other people's business."
In a letter last February to the State Board of Elections, Oliver said the money was a loan that had been repaid, and he apologized for his "poor choice in handling a family emergency." He said he was "unaware of the possibility of committing a campaign finance violation." He did not elaborate on the nature of the family emergency.
