“Until recently I kept alcohol in the office”: Government Official Allegedly Forced Employees to Drink

Casey Anderson, who is the Montgomery County Planning Board Chairman in Maryland, is reported to have allegedly “forced many employees to drink.” On Aug. 5, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) received an anonymous email indicating that Anderson had “over 32 bottles of hard liquor in his office where he routinely creates mixed drinks and distributes them on a significant scale.”  

(Photo: Kevin Lewis/7News)

A photo provided in the anonymous email shows Anderson has a complete bar set up with all the necessities to make many cocktails.  Anderson appears to be a fan of the Havana Club Añejo Blanco which is a great rum for mixing up some cocktails. He is clearly an appreciator of a fine cocktail with a bar that included rum, tequila, gin and whiskey along with syrups, a citrus squeezer, shakers, bitters and more.  

When OIG began the investigation, the whistleblower refused to agree to meet but proceeded to name 10 employees that joined Anderson in a drink.  

According to the confidential internal documents obtained by ABC 7News from OIG, two employees admitted to drinking with Anderson about two or more times per month. Further details indicated in the OIG report stated that “These activities typically occurred after extended Planning Board meetings or late Friday afternoons.”   

On Aug. 23, when OIG spoke with Anderson, he admitted to having a bar in his office and was aware of the zero-tolerance policy for drugs and alcohol being on government property. However, Anderson said he did not pressure any employees to drink with him in his office.  

Following the OIG questioning, Anderson removed his in-office bar and provided a photo to the OIG as proof. It appears his bartending days might be over.  

The OIG did not find evidence that Anderson was drinking during working hours and additionally they did not find evidence that Anderson forced employees to drink. It does not appear that disciplinary action has been taken against Anderson as of yet.  

In a statement to 7News Anderson said, “Until recently I kept alcohol in the office and from time to time shared a drink with colleagues – at the end of the workday, after regular business hours. I should not have done this in a Commission office building, even after work. I take full responsibility, I have removed the alcohol, and I apologize.” 

Here at The Daily Pour, we do more than write about current events in spirit. We are the only media property reviewing spirits and aggregating the scores and reviews of other significant voices in the spirit world in one place. If you’re interested in getting a shot of spirit in your morning email, sign up for our Whiskey Deal of the Day Newsletter