July 19, 2008
Clothes didn't make the man
If Anthony Brown ever gets his fill of politics, he might consider a second career as a tuxedo model. The lieutenant governor has already appeared, decked out in a snazzy penguin suit, in a magazine ad for Kustom Looks Clothier.
Makes sense, since the Landover haberdashery bills itself as "The Official Clothier for Prominent Professionals." Except for that bit in Maryland law that prohibits state officials from using the "prestige" of their office for private gain.
Brown spokeswoman Nancy Lineman said the lieutenant governor's office only recently became aware of the ad, which has run several times in Prince George's Suite magazine. Someone signing off as "a troubled state employee" sent a copy of it to the State Ethics Committee last week.
"The lieutenant governor bought a suit and tuxedo [from Kustom Looks] for his inaugural events," Lineman said. "He paid full price for those two items, and he did not give consent nor has he been compensated in any way for appearing in this ad. Our office plans to send a letter saying, 'Please stop using the lieutenant governor's likeness.'"
Kustom Looks used a photo of Brown taken when he was being fitted for the tux, superimposing it on shots of two other celebrity customers: former Redskins running back Brian Mitchell and WJLA news anchor Leon Harris. None of the men was paid, said Kwab Asamoah, owner of the shop.
"We're trying to expand our brand," he said. "We generally use a lot of our clients in our ads. Unfortunately, we're not a company big enough for paid endorsements."
Asamoah said he didn't realize there were laws against using state officials in ads. Former Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, another customer, played "celebrity model" for Kustom Looks in a fashion show last summer. But Steele was out of office at the time.
"It was our mistake," Asamoah said. "We never ran it past him. This is the first I'm hearing there is some potential conflict of interest. ... I figured the lieutenant governor is so positive toward small business that he wouldn't mind helping us out."
"I rode the Washington Blvd.," began the handwritten note to Richard Trainor, Schaefer's transportation secretary. "The center yellow line was laid by a person who was drinking or with poor eyesight.
"1. Who did the job.
"2. Have we paid for the work
"3. if not, hold up
"4. Report
"Schaefer."
The governor had traveled on a stretch of Route 1 near Jessup that was under construction, so the crooked lines were just temporary, Patterson recalled in an e-mail.
"Some people thought it was nitpicking," he wrote. "I did not. It was sloppy workmanship (temporary or not) and he was correct to call it out."
The staff got the message.
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