Hogan’s opposition to utility project stirs conflict of interest questions

Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, now a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, opposes the construction of a transmission line that could have a negative impact on his business. It’s not the first time Hogan has been accused of taking political positions that benefit his financial interests.

Hogan’s Democratic opponent is Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks. It is expected to be a close election.

The Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project is a proposed 70-mile electric transmission line that would run through Baltimore, Carroll, and Frederick counties. Proponents of the project say it would help communities that are currently experiencing frequent blackouts and high utility costs due to there being more electricity demand than the current power grid can supply.

In July, Hogan wrote an op-ed for the Baltimore Sun opposing the project.

“Over the last  two weeks, I have received a number of messages from Marylanders about a proposed transmission line project that would run through Baltimore, Carroll and Frederick counties,” Hogan wrote. “Residents were  blindsided by the way the project has been rushed through without transparency as they learn of the devastating impact for their homes, farms and communities.”

Hogan’s article, however, did not reveal that undeveloped land owned by Hogan Companies, a real estate firm he founded in 1985, is on the proposed path of the transmission line. The land in New Market, Maryland has been identified as a site for possible retail development.

When Hogan was elected governor in 2015, he created controversy by refusing to divest from Hogan Companies. He instead struck an unusual deal with the Maryland Ethics Commission to establish a “not blind trust,” that allowed him to have oversight of his company’s dealings while in office.

In January 2020, the New Republic reported that when Hogan was governor, he consistently supported state construction projects that increased the value of his real estate holdings. This included a multimillion dollar plan to improve roads and sidewalks near a housing development he owned.

Public Citizen, a progressive government watchdog group, reported in February 2020 that Hogan made more than $2 million from his real estate company while in office, more than any sitting governor in Maryland history. 

In this light, Hogan’s opposition to the  Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project looks like more of the same.

Hogan has not committed to divesting from Hogan Companies if elected to the Senate. In his financial disclosures from July, Hogan reported owning between $7.97 million and $25.7 million worth of real estate investments tied to Hogan Companies.

Former President Donald Trump has endorsed Hogan’s campaign. Trump refused to divest from his own real estate company while serving in the White House.