NAACP Wants Probe Of Md. County Exec Harassment Claims

Exec asks for probe of why he is having to deal with this

Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold, one of three to four total Republicans in Maryland and one of the most prominent, is under fire again for his colorful interactions with the ladies. And all anyone wants is an investigation. Lots of investigations, into everything.

Just as Marylanders were forgetting about his still-unresolved alleged back-seat sexing in the Annapolis Mall parking lot several months ago, two women -- a state employee and a former county employee (for him) -- lodged harassment accusations at Leopold last week.

The state employee, Marvenise Harris, filed a complaint to the county chapter of the NAACP and to her employer, the state Department of Human Resources. (The county employee hasn't filed her complaint yet, but she promises that that baby's on the way soon enough.) In the letter, Harris accuses Leopold of complimenting her looks, asking her on a date, showing her his sexy body, and reaching around her back to pay a cashier, all while they were briefly waiting in a state cafeteria line.

Someone immediately leaked the complaint to the media, and now this: a veritable "brouhaha." The NAACP wants the state prosecutor to investigate Harris' allegation! Leopold wants the state prosector to investigate who leaked Harris' letter! The Dept. of Human Resources has already done an investigation!

Raquel Guillory, a spokeswoman for Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler, said Friday that Mr. Gansler's office has investigated and that only a handful of people had access to the letter, none of whom leaked the letter.

Mr. Leopold's office issued a statement saying that the Department of Human Resources had closed its investigation into Miss Harris' allegation with a finding of "no probable cause."

This is a terrible distraction from the start of boating season in Annapolis.

Jim Newell writes for Wonkette and IvyGate.

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