The state investigation of political corruption at City Hall has dragged on for more than three years, leaving State Prosecutor Robert F. Rohrbaugh open to criticism that he was on a “fishing expedition.” He kept going and in January, a city grand jury handed up indictments against Baltimore’s mayor, her ex-boyfriend and a city councilwoman. But in May, a judge threw out bribery charges against Councilwoman Helen Holton, ruling that Mr. Rohrbaugh didn’t have the right evidence.
Political observers wondered whether Mr. Rohrbaugh would be deterred. He wasn’t and this week, a city grand jury indicted Holton and prominent businessman John Paterakis Sr. on charges of violating campaign finance laws in connection with a $12,000 election poll for the councilwoman that was paid for by Paterakis and developer Ronald H. Lipscomb.

But dozen years ago, when two reporters for The Baltimore Sun turned up violations of campaign finance laws by Mr. Paterakis and other prominent city residents, then state prosecutor Stephen Montanarelli basically threw up his hands.

He told reporters William F. Zorzi Jr. and Walter F. Roche Jr. that unless his office received a specific complaint about possible violations, his investigators did not go looking for them.

“We don’t do it because it is just too much work for our agency — seven or eight people. We don’t have the time,” Montanarelli said then. “It’s difficult to do a random sampling and come up with anything.”

by ANN LOLORDO
LoLordo was a longtime reporter and editor for The Baltimore Sun.