County Official Penalized for Keeping Fully Stocked Bar in Office
(Photo: Google Street View)
Yesterday it was announced that the Montgomery County Planning Board Chairman in Maryland, Casey Anderson was reprimanded. He has been docked a month’s pay for having a fully stocked bar inside his office and drinking on government property.
This decision comes about a month after previous reports of an email being sent on Aug. 5 to the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG). The email stated that “over 32 bottles of hard liquor in [Anderson’s] office where he routinely creates mixed drinks and distributes them on a significant scale.”
A photo accompanying the email showed Anderson had a complete bar set up including a bottle of Havana Club Añejo Blanco along with all the ingredients and bar tools to make many a fine cocktail.
OIG said, “These activities typically occurred after extended Planning Board meetings or late Friday afternoons.”
Montgomery County Council President Gabe Albornoz released the following statement, “The Council is extremely disappointed in the violations of Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) policy by Planning Board Chair Casey Anderson, as detailed in an advisory memorandum from M-NCPPC’s inspector general.”
The memorandum also found Vice Chair Partap Verma and Planning Board Commissioner Carol Rubin responsible. They were also reprimanded and will lose one day of their respective salaries.
“Montgomery County Planning Board leadership must model the behavior that we want all employees to display,” said Albornoz. “The three commissioners also must attend Employee Assistance Program counseling which is consistent with the Commission’s protocol.”
At the time of the OIG investigation, the whistleblower refused to meet with OIG. Rather, the anonymous source named 10 employees that joined Anderson in utilizing his office bar. Two employees admitted to drinking with Anderson but it is unclear if these two were Verma and Rubin.
In a previous statement to 7News Anderson did apologize for his behavior. Additionally, the bar contents were removed after Anderson was questioned by the OIG.
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