September 9, 2019: Candidate for Sheriff of Baltimore City Charged with Campaign Violations

CANDIDATE FOR SHERIFF OF BALTIMORE CITY CHARGED WITH CAMPAIGN VIOLATIONS

The Office of the State Prosecutor announces that Richard Parker, a candidate for Baltimore City Sheriff in 2014, was charged on Friday with filing a campaign finance report with false and misleading information and signing an electronic submission of one of his campaign forms without express consent of his treasurer.

The charges allege that the campaign finance report that was filed on or about January 1, 2015 indicated that Parker had over $40,000 in his campaign account for the Committee to Elect Richard Parker, of which he was Chairman, and reported a bank account number that did not exist. His actual bank account for the Committee to Elect Richard Parker never contained an amount close to $40,000. Parker also allegedly filed a campaign report containing the signature line of his treasurer, over the line “Signature of Treasurer” when his treasurer had not consented to have the forms signed in her name and had not signed the form herself or examined the form and its contents.

“Transparency is an essential element of the campaign process and we must hold people accountable who do not accurately report their campaign information,” said Kelly Madigan, Deputy State Prosecutor.

Although charged, the Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until there is a conviction.

*Edited on 09/10/19