Maryland Lobbyist Pleads Guilty In Federal Bribery Probe

TAKOMA PARK, MD — A lobbyist from Takoma Park pleaded guilty to a federal bribery charge for paying a state legislator to write a letter to a liquor board that recommended a business receive a liquor license.

Matthew Gorman, 43, was an attorney and lobbyist in Hyattsville and represented clients in front of the Prince George’s County Board of License Commissioners, prosectors said.

Gorman admitted to bribing then-Prince George’s County council member William Alberto Campos-Escobar, also known as Will Campos, in 2013.

Gorman paid Campos, a former state delegate, $2,000 to write a letter to the board recommending that a business should receive a liquor license, prosecutors said.

According to court documents, Gorman, along with David Dae Sok Son, Shin Ja Lee, and Young Jung Paig, all of Maryland, paid a $4,000 bribe to Campos, in exchange for his assistance in passing legislation that authorized the Liquor Board to issue certain liquor licenses permitting establishments to sell liquor on Sundays.

Gorman’s sentencing is scheduled for December 20, 2017. He faces a maximum sentence of up to ten years in prison.

Other individuals have pleaded guilty to related federal criminal offenses in the probe:

• Will Campos pleaded guilty to conspiracy and bribery January 6;
• Young Paig pleaded guilty to bribery April 20,
• Shin Lee pleaded guilty to bribery May, 17.

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