http://www.sunspot.net/news/local/bal-voting0927,0,1771648.story?coll=bal-local-headlinesBy David Nitkin
Sun Staff
Originally published September 26, 2003, 9:28 PM EDT
Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. asked the State Ethics Commission Friday to examine the relationships of a well-known Annapolis lobbyist after learning that he represents competing interests in the debate over whether Maryland should buy costly new touch-screen voting machines.
Top Ehrlich aides said they did not learn until this week that
Gilbert J. Genn, who was registered to lobby on behalf of Diebold Election Systems, the manufacturer of the electronic voting machines, was
also authorized to represent Science Applications International Corp., hired by Ehrlich to determine whether the voting system is se cure enough to use.
"We did not know about his representation of both clients," said Henry Fawell, a spokesman for the governor. "We wish that that had been disclosed."
The ethics commission, Fawell said, could help resolve questions about whether Genn's dual roles constitute a conflict of interest that may have compromised the independence of the consultant's review, portions of which were released for the first time this week.
"We volunteered this information to the state ethics commission today
so they can begin to answer those questions," Fawell said.
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