Three former Democratic legislators who were given plum jobs this year by Gov. Parris N. Glendening contributed thousands of dollars to the governor's still-active political fund, campaign finance records show.
A top Republican described the contributions as "fishy" and said they are yet another example of a "culture of corruption" in Annapolis.
The donations were all deposited within a seven-day period in late August and early September - at a time when Glendening was using the fund to finance a series of ads promoting a Democratic primary challenge to Comptroller William Donald Schaefer.
The former legislators who made the donations to Marylanders for Glendening are:
Sen. Perry Sfikas of Baltimore, who was appointed to an $81,000 position on the state Parole Commission in September. Records show his campaign committee - still flush after he decided not to run for re-election - gave the Glendening fund the legal maximum of $6,000 Aug. 8.
Del. Thomas E. Dewberry of Baltimore County, who was named the state's chief administrative law judge at a salary of $101,000 in May. He said he gave $5,000 to Glendening after being solicited by one of the governor's deputy chiefs of staff.
Sen. Michael J. Collins of Baltimore County, who was named to a $97,344 post on the state Board of Contract Appeals on May 17. Records show Collins gave $6,000 in leftover campaign funds to the governor Sept. 2. Collins also donated $10,000 to the Democratic Governors' Association, which is headed by Glendening, on May 9.
The proximity of the appointments and the contributions raised the suspicions of a leading advocate of campaign reform. "It looks like a payoff," said James Browning, executive director of Common Cause/Maryland.
Browning said the contributions should be considered when the state Senate considers the former lawmakers' confirmations during next year's legislative session.
"They should be more observant of the appearance. And one could argue that giving that much money in conjunction with the office is a disqualification or strike against the potential appointee," Browning said.
Louis M. Pope, chairman of the Maryland Republican Party, agreed that senators should consider the donations before confirming the three.
"It does look fishy and is certainly troublesome," Pope said. "We've had a continuing culture of corruption in Annapolis, and this is just one more example of questionable contributions."
Chuck Porcari, a spokesman for Glendening, said there was no link between the contributions and the appointments.
"All three men have had and will continue to have long, distinguished service to the people of Maryland and bring enormous integrity and work ethic to their jobs," Porcari said. "They believe in the governor's agenda, and to insinuate that their service is for any other reason is ludicrous."
The contributions stood out because they were among the largest to the governor's campaign committee, which has continued to receive and spend money since his 1998 re-election. The governor was prohibited by law from running for re-election this year.
Glendening has used his campaign fund to make contributions to Democratic Party committees and to various political allies. The most publicized use came in early September, when Glendening paid for a series of ads seeking to boost the long-shot candidacy of Secretary of State John T. Willis, who was challenging Schaefer in the Democratic primary.
The ads assailed Schaefer for the language he used describing African-Americans and women during Board of Public Works meetings. Schaefer nonetheless defeated Willis convincingly.
Sfikas, one of the governor's staunchest supporters in the Senate over the past eight years, said Glendening called to ask him to contribute to either his campaign fund or to the Democratic Governors' Association. Sfikas, who said the governor had been "wonderful" to his Southeast Baltimore district, sent the check to the Glendening committee.
The two-term senator said that at the time he talked with Glendening in early August, he was not interested in a state job. He said it was only several weeks later that he became interested.
Dewberry said he received a call from Sushant Sidh, a deputy chief of staff to the governor, in August at a time when the former delegate was spending down his excess campaign funds - mostly by contributing to fellow Democrats.
It would be illegal for a member of the governor's staff to solicit contributions from a state office. Porcari said Sidh made the calls on his own time when he was away from his State House office.
Dewberry said Sidh told him Glendening was trying to get contributions flowing to Democratic governors and gubernatorial candidates around the country. "I didn't feel leaned on at all," Dewberry said.
Collins did not return calls to his office or his home.
Glendening took in $717,234 and spent $626,911 since the 1998 campaign despite being ineligible to seek re-election. He still has $90,323 in his account. Under state law, he cannot convert it to personal use but has broad discretion in spending it on political causes.