Gov. Takes On O'Reilly, Says His Administration Launched Probe Into Prison Corruption 2 Years Ago
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- O'Reilly vs. O'Malley. The governor is taking heat from the cable news host because of corruption in Maryland jails---and both men are fighting back.
Mike Hellgren tackles the feud and what it means for the governor's political aspirations.
The sheer outrageousness of the story---inmates impregnating officers and an out-of-control atmosphere behind bars---has gotten national attention. While the governor contends he's responsible for rooting out that corruption, Bill O'Reilly says the state's prison chief "sounds like a moron."
Bill O'Reilly has Governor Martin O'Malley in his crosshairs, sending a crew to target him on the jail scandal. The crew targeted Corrections Chief Secretary Gary Maynard, too.
"He just sounded like a moron," O'Reilly said.
Maynard has refused interviews with WJZ for weeks on what's being done to get the Baltimore City Detention Center under control and whether other facilities have similar problems with officers allowing inmates to run wild behind bars---all while Governor O'Malley fends off critics from both parties on the scandal.
"How could this possibly happen? What's going on? Who's in charge?" said State Comptroller Peter Franchot.
"Our governor has spent his time focusing on issues that will get him elected in 2016," said Congressman Nicholaus Kipke.
"Regardless of the cheap shots Bill O'Reilly or other people take when you go after corruption, the fact of the matter is, it's a lot easier to ignore problems than to paper over them," O'Malley said.
"Reporting the truth is a cheap shot to you but not to us," O'Reilly countered.
The governor says he has no desire to fire Secretary Maynard and maintains his administration initiated the federal investigation and he'll take the heat over it.
"I don't generally watch Fox but I might come on," O'Malley said.
Monday, inmate Tavon White, who federal authorities call a gang kingpin, complained about conditions in Cumberland, where he's being held.
Authorities say White fathered several children with correctional officers while behind bars.
