Maryland Delegate Charged With Theft Of State Funds For ‘District Office' -- Outside His District

A Maryland Matters Staff Report

July 27, 2022

A Maryland lawmaker has been charged by state prosecutors with multiple counts of misconduct in office, theft and embezzlement related to rental payments for a river cottage in Baltimore County.

Del. Rick Impallaria, a Republican who represents parts of Baltimore and Harford counties and who has served in Annapolis for two decades, appeared to lose a bid for re-election last week; votes are still being counted.

On Wednesday, Maryland State Prosecutor Charlton T. Howard III filed a criminal information against Impallaria in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court.

According to the prosecutor’s office, Impallaria paid his landlord with rental payments from the General Assembly for a “district office” that was actually outside of his district — and next door to a cottage Impallaria rented for personal use from the same landlord.

The General Assembly paid, on average, double the amount of rent for Impallaria’s “district office” than any other tenant in the community along Middle River. The same month the General Assembly began paying rent on the “district office,” and after ten years of monthly rent payments, Impallaria stopped paying rent on the neighboring personal cottage, which he maintained.

The buildings, at various times, were in either the state’s 6th or 7th legislative district. After 2012 redistricting, they were located in the 6th District, while Impallaria represented the 7th.

Between July 2012 through and through May 31 of this year, the state of Maryland paid $92,800 in rent for the “district office.”

During that same time period, Impallaria paid nothing in rent for his neighboring cottage, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors also say in the court filings that Impallaria was reimbursed by the state for $2,405.30 in office furniture that was never actually purchased after filing a false invoice.

The delegate subsequently used the $2,405.30 to pay for fundraising letters on behalf of his campaign entity, Friends of Rick Impallaria, prosecutors said.

No one returned a voicemail left for Impallaria at a phone number on file with the State Board of Elections on Wednesday afternoon.

He faces seven counts, including misconduct in office, theft scheme between $25,000 and $100,000, and fraudulent misappropriation by a fiduciary.

This story will be updated.

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