Former top aide claims Maryland governor backed controversial payout

by Monique Beals - 11/04/21 6:06 PM ET

Roy McGrath, who previously served as the chief of staff to Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R), claims amid controversy that Hogan approved the large severance pay package McGrath received from a state agency.

McGrath, who served as Maryland Environmental Service (MES)’s executive director for four years, was accused of defrauding the state agency into giving him a severance package worth over $233,000. He told the MES board of directors that the governor agreed to the large package.

Now, McGrath faces criminal charges including misappropriation, misconduct in office, wire fraud and wiretapping for allegedly secretly recording conversations with the governor and others, according to The Baltimore Sun.

On Thursday, McGrath provided screenshots of texts in which the governor expressed support.

“I know you did nothing wrong. I know it is unfair. I will stand with you,” Hogan said in the messages, per the Sun.

According to the messages published by the Sun, Hogan said that strategy efforts needed to take place adding that “they are going to try to tear us down on this thing.”

McGrath said the messages were sent between Aug. 13 and Aug. 17, the dates when the severance package was made public and when McGrath resigned as chief of staff, respectively, according to the Sun.

A spokesman for the governor told the Sun that Hogan sent the message to McGrath before the governor knew the full details of how McGrath negotiated his severance package.

“At that point, the governor was reserving judgment until all the facts came to light, and that fact-finding is what led to the resignation,” Hogan spokesman Michael Ricci said in a statement, per the Sun.

“These are the falsehoods and delusions of an individual facing dozens of federal and state charges for fraud and violations of the public trust,” Ricci added in a statement to The Hill.

In addition to receiving the severance package, McGrath allegedly also used MES’s funding to make a personal pledge to a museum and to finance tuition expenses for a course he took after leaving the agency.

McGrath left the MES in May 2020 and began working in the governor’s office. He resigned after just a few months in that role amid reports of his misuse of MES funds.

Tags Larry Hogan Maryland Roy McGrath