Word: agnew
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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...Maryland political scene was described as a sordid hothouse of corruption in which the payoff system had been well established long before Agnew's emergence as a promising officeholder. At the time of his election as Baltimore county executive (1962), "it was well known in the business community that engineers generally, and the smaller engineering firms in particular, had to pay in order to obtain contracts from the county." State contractors shaken down during Agnew's term as Governor "were not surprised that payments would be necessary because it was generally understood that engineers had been making such...
Early in his term as county executive, the Government claims, Agnew befriended the wealthy Hammerman and "often" discussed his financial situation. "Mr. Agnew complained about it, and told Hammerman that he had not accumulated any wealth before he assumed public office, had no inheritance, and as a public official received what he considered a small salary," the summary continues. "Mr. Agnew believed, moreover, that his public position required him to adopt a standard of living beyond his means and that his political ambitions required him to build a financially strong political organization." ∙ After Agnew was elected Governor, he told...
Though most firms "knew what was expected of them," Hammerman often called up successful bidders to "congratulate" them as a reminder. Potential contributors who made no move to ante up sometimes received less congratulatory messages. "Hammerman specifically recalls discussing with Mr. Agnew whether or not [a] particular financial institution would be awarded the lucrative state bond business, and that during that discussion Mr. Agnew commented that the principals at the institution in question were 'a cheap bunch' who 'don't give you any money,' " claims the Government. "Mr. Agnew informed Hammerman that...
Hammerman tried to collect between 3% and 5% of a contract's total value but is described as having been willing to accept "any reasonable sum." He "generally held Mr. Agnew's 50% share in a safe-deposit box until Mr. Agnew called for it." The Governor would do so by telephoning Hammerman to ask how many "papers" his friend was holding. Says the summary: "It was understood between Mr. Agnew and Hammerman that the term 'paper' referred to $1,000 in cash...
Some contractors preferred to deal directly with Agnew...