Hogan Steals Page from Trump Playbook: Still Bullying and Silencing Marylande

Annapolis, MD – According to a stunning report published by ProPublica today, Governor Larry Hogan is still silencing nearly 500 Marylanders by preventing them from interacting with his Facebook page.  Hogan is so desperate to avoid criticism that he is banning and censoring residents who are concerned that he won’t stand up and fight for them against the regressive policies of Donald Trump.  

A Bethesda resident who voted for Governor Hogan, Amanda Farber, reported that she was silenced earlier this year after begging Hogan to fight back against TrumpCare and President Trump’s Muslim ban. 

“This is right out of Donald Trump’s playbook, and not how our democracy works,” said Maryland Democratic Party Chair Kathleen Matthews. “Serving the public is a privilege and all Marylanders deserve to have their voice heard by their governor, whether they agree or disagree with his policies.  Marylanders deserve a leader who will listen to them and work to move our state forward, not a thin-skinned politician who bullies and silenced his critics.”

This isn’t new ground for Hogan, who has a history of bullying and silencing people who he views as his opponents.  In February, came under fire for blocking Marylanders, like Farber, who called on him to oppose Trump’s Muslim ban.  In October, members of the Montgomery County School Board expressed disappointment in Governor Hogan’s decision to move up the starting date for public schools until after Labor Day, because they might now have to eliminate Jewish holidays from the school holiday calendar.  Hogan said he was “outraged” by the criticism and went on to say, “None of them should be reelected.”

Hogan’s paid sick leave task force hid their work from the public and refused to give workers an opportunity to participate, while his administration urged their allies in the business community to help them “kill” the earned sick leave bill passed by the legislature during the 2017 legislative session.