Journalists asked about mayor buzz

BALTIMORE (AP) — Jervis S. Finney, chief counsel to Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., has questioned two journalists about “MD4BUSH,” an anonymous contributor to a Web site that posted rumors about Mayor Martin O’Malley.

Mr. Finney said he was asking the questions as part of his investigation into the activities of Joseph Steffen, an aide to the governor who was fired Feb. 8 for his involvement in spreading rumors about Mr. O’Malley’s personal life, the Baltimore Sun reported.

Mr. O’Malley has denied the rumors.

MD4BUSH had several Web log exchanges with Mr. Steffen about the O’Malley rumors.

In a Feb. 16 letter to Sun reporter Michael Dresser, Mr. Finney cited a federal appeals court panel’s decision last week that undercut reporters’ right to shield their sources. In a letter to Sun columnist Michael Olesker, Mr. Finney wondered “whether you are in fact ’MD4BUSH.’ ”

Mr. Ehrlich, a Republican, barred state employees last fall from contact with Mr. Olesker and the Sun’s State House bureau chief David Nitkin because, he said, they were not objectively covering his administration.

The Sun challenged the order by filing a lawsuit, which was dismissed in December by a federal judge.

Mr. Olesker and Mr. Dresser said they had no knowledge of MD4BUSH.

“Of course I’m not that guy,” Mr. Olesker said. “It’s not me, and I have no idea who it is.”

Said Mr. Dresser: “I am not MD4BUSH, and I would not care to speculate who MD4BUSH might be.”

Mr. Finney’s questions followed Freedom of Information Act requests by the Sun and other media about details of the administration’s investigation into Mr. Steffen’s activities.

Mr. Olesker and Mr. Dresser appear to be the only ones to have received written questions last week as part of the investigation.

Mr. Finney said that he “verbally” asked other media members about MD4BUSH and intends to follow up in written form. He said the decision to question the press is part of his effort to conduct a thorough investigation into the spreading of the rumors about the mayor.

“I am trying to seek information that is relevant to the governor, whether a state employee or official might be MD4BUSH,” he said.

In support of his decision to question the press, Mr. Finney cited the U.S. Court of Appeals case involving reporters Matthew Cooper of Time magazine and Judith Miller of the New York Times, who face contempt-of-court charges for refusing to tell prosecutors about their confidential talks with a government official or officials about the identity of a CIA operative.

In that case, he said, it was suggested that there are times when it is appropriate for the press to reveal information and sources.

“It’s up to the newspaper whether this is one of those times,” Mr. Finney said. “It’s entirely appropriate for me to ask the question. If you all are going to decline to answer the question, then so be it.”