Financial reports required by the State Board of Elections tell us a lot about donors who expect favorable treatment from County Council candidates.
The latest report confirms that Chuck Callahan has accepted $500.00 in cash from Jeanne Bryan, Inc.
This would be the same Jeanne Bryan whose company, Clayland Farm Enterprises, LLC, presently is suing Talbot County for $10,000,000 because of the County’s failure to zone her Darby Farm property, in Royal Oak, to permit development of a 400 unit subdivision.
Ms. Bryan’s company additionally is suing members of the Talbot County Planning Commission, in their individual capacities, for $10,000,000, with punitive damages on top of that, for their failure to support zoning that would accommodate that 400 unit subdivision.
So Chuck Callahan is taking campaign cash from an adversary who is suing the very entity that he has taken an oath to defend, and an adversary who is trying to bankrupt public servants on the Planning Commission actually appointed by Callahan and others on the Council.
This outrageous circumstance says a lot, and two things in particular. First, Mr. Callahan exercises extremely poor judgment when acting on his own. Second, Jeanne Bryan – the ultimate “special interest” – apparently believes she has good reason to want Chuck Callahan on the County Council, given her hopes for intense, inappropriate development in Royal Oak.
During the work up of the Comprehensive Plan Callahan, and Jennifer Williams, both proposed to eliminate all references to “smart growth” from that critical planning document.The uncontrolled growth for the Royal Oak area desired by Jeanne Bryan would make the discarding of all such smart growth principles quite convenient.
Thomas T. Alspach
Easton
barney kastel says
I would have to say Jeanne is certainly allowed to give money to anyone she wishes. The question is was Chuck Callahan aware of the money and was it a campaign contribution or for some other purpose. The answer to this question could make all the difference to many folks in the way they vote.
Dirck Bartlett says
We have been in court against Jeanie Bryan and her family for several years regarding the resining of the Clayland Farm property. Chuck has been fully aware of this lawsuit and of Ms. Bryan’s role. There is frankly no excuse for him to accept any monies from Ms. Bryan who is our opponent in this lawsuit. Chuck claims to be a member of Common Sense Talbot. There is a lack of common sense here and this is clearly an example of local corruption.