A dispute between two high-ranking Maryland officers has boiled over right into a salacious public brouhaha by which the sheriff says he has proof he requested a county government to cease sending racy photos to his deputies.
Democratic Wicomico County Government Julie Giordano has emphatically denied the claims introduced by Sheriff Mike Lewis, who says he has documentary proof that he formally made the weird request in writing.
Giordano dismissed the allegations as a “horrific rumor” sparked by a political vendetta and denied the doc even exists.
Lewis has caught to his weapons, however says he won’t launch the letter to the general public and not using a courtroom order, in response to FOX Baltimore’s Highlight on Maryland.
Beginning throughout her 2022 marketing campaign and persevering with into the early days of her tenure in workplace, Giordano allegedly despatched “nude or semi-nude” photographs to a number of sheriff’s deputies.
Citing sources acquainted with the matter, the outlet says in October 2024 Lewis lastly had sufficient and issued a letter to the county government demanding she put an finish to the untoward conduct.
Requested in regards to the allegations final week, Giordano waved off the existence of the letter as “false narratives” and claimed she and the sheriff had met to debate the matter.
“There was by no means a letter despatched to cease. So, mainly what occurred was, there was a horrific rumor that went round, and that’s simply what occurs in a marketing campaign, and so, we’ve moved on from it,” Giordano mentioned.
“We’ve a marketing campaign arising, so I feel we’ve dealt with it fairly properly, and Sheriff Lewis and I’ve had these conversations,” she added.
As for whether or not she really shared intimate photographs with sheriff’s deputies, Giordano demurred.
“I don’t imagine that there are any deputies who’ve claimed to have acquired any of them, a minimum of not that I do know of,” she mentioned.
“I do know of none which have claimed to have acquired something.”
Lewis declined when Highlight on Maryland pressed him to launch the alleged cease-and-desist letter, saying “I’m not going to offer you a replica of that letter until I’m ordered to by the courtroom. And once I’m ordered by the courtroom, you’ll get a replica of that letter.”
Nonetheless the outlet claims the county inadvertently proved the existence of the letter in response to its public information request.
Their first request lodged in January requested for any communications containing phrases like “nudes” and “pornographic” was ignored, at which level the outlet’s father or mother firm Sinclair issued a proper demand.
The county legal professional responded, claiming the discharge of the information could be an “unwarranted invasion of non-public privateness.”
Giordano later flatly denied ever receiving any such letter.
“I by no means acquired a cease-and-desist letter,” she mentioned. “I’d go on the file and say that the rationale that the doc didn’t get launched is as a result of it doesn’t exist as a result of I by no means acquired a cease-and-desist letter from them.”
The outlet has since despatched a ultimate demand letter to the sheriff’s workplace, indicating it plans on submitting go well with in the event that they weren’t offered inside two days.
Lewis admitted he and Giordano have had a troublesome relationship at occasions, however claimed the pair have endeavored to place the “unhealthy chapter” behind them.
“I’ve not all the time had a superb relationship with my county government,” Lewis informed the outlet.
“For the final 12 months and a half, I feel we each have labored very exhausting to get alongside for the betterment of Wicomico County.”
However he once more famous that the letter is certainly very actual, however as much as the press to dig up.
“I clearly imagine in fact, and in case you guys clearly select to discover different means to get a replica of that letter — that does exist — that’s on you guys.”
