In Maryland they fired people for being Democrats in State gov. [View All]

[MissWaverly]

Steffen's testimony raises perjury issue
Former Ehrlich aide tells committee that politics played role in firings

Democratic General Assembly leaders formed a select committee to investigate the personnel practices of Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. in June 2005 - several months after Steffen's activities in state government came to light - and have since awaited his testimony.

Some Democrats contend Steffen was one of several state workers assigned to various agencies to purge them of Democratic loyalists and make room for the governor's supporters. The lawmakers allege that the administration reached deeper than necessary into state agencies to put its own stamp on state operations and disposed of untold decades of employee experience by forcing out workers solely because they were Democrats.

Joseph F. Steffen Jr. - known in political circles as the "Prince of Darkness" - shed light yesterday on his role in the firing of state employees, asserting that he teamed with the governor's appointments office in targeting workers to be terminated and that their political affiliations informed his recommendations.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-te.md.steffen10aug10,0,3246015.story?coll=bal-local-headlines