Currie paid $207,000 by grocery chain

Friday, July 25, 2008

Currie paid $207,000 by grocery chain

by Daniel Valentine | Staff Writer

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State Sen. Ulysses S. Currie was paid $207,000 by the Shoppers Food Warehouse grocery chain and its parent company for his consulting work now under federal investigation, according to court papers unsealed July 24.

Currie (D-Dist. 25) of Forestville appears to be the main target in an FBI probe of his relationship with the Shoppers Food Warehouse grocery chain. According to an FBI affidavit unsealed Tuesday, Currie began consulting work for the chain in 2003 and spoke directly with executives more than 300 times between 2004 and May 2008. The FBI alleges Currie used his position as chairman of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee to work covertly for the grocery chain.

The tax and checking account records released list payments Currie allegedly received from the company dating back five years.

The documents were unsealed this week after requests from media.

The payment information had been sealed until yesterday, when Currie’s lawyer Dale Kelberman announced they would not appeal the decision to release the information to the public.

According to the documents, Currie claimed the payments from Shoppers Food Warehouse and its parent company, Supervalu Inc., on his tax returns every year since 2003. They were listed as income from consulting work.

Currie did not file disclosure forms to the state listing the companies as an employer, a move that could lead to charges of mail or wire fraud.

Currie allegedly used his influence to arrange for a College Park Shoppers to receive a transferred liquor license over local objections, and later to help arrange for state land to be sold to expand a Baltimore mall where the grocery chain was looking to locate.

According to court papers, Currie was paid $30,000 in 2003, $59,000 in 2004, $20,500 in 2005, $43,500 in 2006 and $54,000 from Supervalu last year, according to court papers.

Earlier this week, state Republican Party leaders renewed their call for Currie to step down as Senate budget chairman.

‘‘While Currie has not yet been charged with a federal crime, he has clearly violated state ethics laws by hiding his employment as a lobbyist for a large supermarket chain,” state GOP Chairman James Pelura said in a statement.

Taking payments from the grocery chain without declaring his employment could lead to charges of federal mail and wire fraud, Steven Quisenberry, a special agent in the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s public corruption squad, wrote in the affidavit. Federal prosecutors have used the charges against elected officials in other states, maintaining that the fraud involves ‘‘the deprivation of the intangible right to honest services.”

Democrats said they still support Currie.

‘‘There are people out there who appreciate what he’s done in the past and are hoping for the best for the future,” said Sen. Douglas J.J. Peters (D-Dist. 23) of Bowie, who said he calls Currie often to reiterate his support.

E-mail Daniel Valentine at dvalentine@gazette.net.