MD Democratic Party Calls for Investigation into Hogan and Rahn’s Relationship with HNTB

Annapolis, MD — Ahead of this morning’s Board of Public Works meeting, the Maryland Democratic Party has sent letters to U.S. Attorney for Maryland Robert Hur and Maryland State Prosecutor Emmett Davitt urging them to investigate potential criminal violations of public trust committed by Governor Larry Hogan, Maryland Transportation Secretary Pete Rahn and officials in the Hogan administration. 

Matthews wrote: “Governor Hogan’s refusal to voluntarily release all communications between his administration and HNTB violates the public trust and points to a possible effort to conceal potentially illegal actions.  Public service is a public trust, and there is evidence showing that Governor Hogan and Secretary Rahn violated that trust.”

Despite repeated calls for transparency, Hogan has not released his administration and campaign’s communications with HNTB Corporation.  Instead, Hogan tried to sweep the scandal under the rug by cancelling the contract and forcing the Maryland Department of Transportation to restart the procurement process from scratch.

Days after the Maryland Daily Record broke the story of Rahn’s attempt to steer the contract to HNTB, research conducted by the party revealed that Hogan, the Maryland Republican Party and the Republican Governors Association have accepted more than $100,000 in campaign contributions from HNTB.

Matthews continued: “I am calling on your office to complete a thorough investigation to identify if any criminal violations were committed by Governor Hogan, Secretary Rahn, and officials in the Hogan administration during the procurement process for this nearly $70 million contract.” 

Click here to read the letter to Davitt and here to read the letter to Hur.  The full text of the letter follows:

I am writing to bring to your attention a potential criminal violation of public trust committed by Maryland Transportation Secretary Pete Rahn and Governor Larry Hogan.

On April 13, the Maryland Daily Record reported that Maryland Transportation Secretary Pete Rahn’s former employer, HNTB Corporation, was recommended for a nearly $70 million state contract and Rahn personally waived the Maryland Department of Transportation’s (MDOT) procurement process—condensing an 18-24-month process into less than two weeks^[1].

On April 16, the Daily Record reported that Secretary Rahn had a “private dinner” with a former HNTB colleague, then attempted to cover his tracks by obtaining a waiver form the Maryland State Board of Ethics after a decision had already been reached to recommend HNTB for the contract.^[2]

Research conducted by the Maryland Democratic Party found that Governor Hogan, the Maryland Republican Party and the Republican Governors Association have accepted more than $100,000 in donations from HNTB Corporation.  Governor Hogan’s refusal to voluntarily release all communications between his administration and HNTB violates the public trust and points to an effort to conceal potentially illegal actions.^[3]

Public service is a public trust, and there is evidence showing that Governor Hogan and Secretary Rahn violated that trust.

I am calling on your office to complete a thorough investigation to identify if any criminal violations were committed by Governor Hogan, Secretary Rahn, and officials in the Hogan administration during the procurement process for this nearly $70 million contract. 

Sincerely,