Maryland Officials Question Stadium Authority’s Hiring

Officials at the Maryland Attorney General’s office “believe the Maryland Stadium Authority improperly paid more than $100,000” to the Baltimore-based law firm of William Murphy Jr., a “close ally of [Maryland Gov. Robert Ehrlich] to prepare a possible lawsuit against [MLB] to block the arrival” of the Nationals, according to Matthew Mosk of the WASHINGTON POST. The officials indicated that the “no-bid contract did not follow state procurement law, which requires state lawyers to sign off before any agency hires private attorneys.” Stadium Authority Exec Dir Alison Asti said that she hired Murphy’s firm “because the work was urgent and she was advised that the state’s lawyers were too busy.” Asti: “It is routine for us to use outside counsel.” Mosk noted that the suit was never filed because Orioles Owner Peter Angelos settled his dispute with MLB. Murphy later repped Angelos in his suit against Comcast over cable rights to Nationals games (WASHINGTON POST, 10/2).