Ehrlich Becomes Baltimore Sun Contributor

Former Maryland Governor Robert Ehrlich will begin contributing regular opinon pieces for The Baltimore Sun. The paper made the announcement Saturday night.

The agreement marks a new chapter in the relationship between Ehrlich and the paper, which hit a nadir in 2004 when the then-Governor barred state employees from speaking to two reporters. That edict came after the paper published a series of articles, which Erlich believed to be biased, about a state plan to see preserved forest land to the owner of a construction company. 

Ehrlich himself had shunned the paper since 2002, when its editorial board endorsed his Democratic opponent in that year's gubernatorial election, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend. The endorsement editorial also accused Ehrlich of tokenism in selecting African-American Michael Steele, then Maryland GOP Chairman, to be his running mate.

Sun Opinion Editor Alvin A. Green, who covered Ehrlich as a State House reporter, said "We've moved on, and he's moved on." when reporter John Fritze asked about the history between the two.

For his part, Ehrlich told Fritze "In a very real sense, it marks a closed chapter."

Ehrlich's debut column will appear Jan. 29. In it, Ehrlich said he plans to address his decision to write for the paper in-depth.

Since being defeated by Martin O'Malley in 2006, Ehrlich has become a partner at the law firm of King & Spalding. He is also the Maryland state chairman for Mitt Romney's presidential campaign.

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