July 26, 2002
 
 The Maryland Republican Party wants the state prosecutor's office to investigate whether House Speaker Casper R. Taylor violated the law by having a state trooper drive his secretary to a political event.
 
 Paul Ellington, executive director of the Republican Party, said state law prohibits employees from participating in political activity during working hours. He added that it was a violation of the law for the trooper to carry political literature into the meeting.
 
 Taylor, an Allegany County Democrat, said he "openly admitted that I made an inadvertent mistake" by having the trooper drive his secretary to a candidates forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters, and has reimbursed state police for the $94 cost.
 
 Taylor said written guidelines are needed on the use of state police officers assigned to provide security to elected officials.
 
 
 
 
 
 Copyright (c) 2002, The Baltimore Sun
 
 Link to the article: http://www.sunspot.net/bal-md.taylor26jul26.story
 
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