BALTIMORE — Governor Larry Hogan could be called to testify against his own former chief of staff, who goes on trial later this month.
Roy McGrath is accused of fraudulently obtaining nearly $277,000 dollars in state money, and using it on personal expenses during his time as Maryland's Environmental Service Director.
The federal and state indictments mostly center on a lucrative severance package McGrath approved for himself in May of 2020, before resigning from the Environmental Service to go serve as Hogan's Chief of Staff.
Prosecutors say McGrath falsely stated that Hogan was aware of and approved the severance payment, which equated to about one-year's salary.
Hogan denied having knowledge of any such agreement.
“To be clear, I did not approve, recommend, or have any involvement whatsoever in any of these decisions made by the board of directors of MES with respect to the former director Roy McGrath or any other individual," Hogan said amid the fallout in August 2020.
When Hogan eventually did find out and questioned the payments, McGrath reportedly lied telling him the Environmental Service's Board of Directors offered the severance package.
RELATED: Former Hogan Chief of Staff accused of fraudulently collecting nearly $277k in state money
Prosecutors are currently in the process of vetting potential jurors for McGrath's trial.
Two proposed questions would ask about their feelings on Hogan's potential involvement as a witness.
The first asks if hearing from Hogan would affect their ability to be fair and impartial, while the second inquires whether Hogan's testimony would carry more or less weight considering he's the sitting Governor.
Hogan's Communications Director Michael Ricci responded to this newest development by issuing the following statement.
"Over the last two years, our office has been actively assisting in these ongoing investigations. As these cases move forward, we are confident that the justice system will uphold the public trust."
Since McGrath's resignation, Hogan has ordered an audit of the Maryland Environmental Service.
The State Legislature also passed Senate Bill 2, which implemented strict compensation protocols and accountability measures to reform the Maryland Environmental Service.
McGrath's trial is scheduled to begin October 24, and last three weeks through November 11.
