New Developments In Suit Against AA County Exec.
ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, Md. (WJZ) ―Sex, lies and sanctions. New developments in the sexual harassment suit against Anne Arundel county executive, who wants the lawyer handling the case to be punished.
The Anne Arundel county attorney says the lawyer making allegations against John Leopold doesn't have the facts to back them up.
Mike Hellgren takes you inside the case.
The county executive faces some ugly allegations, including that he used his county office as his personal dating service Now the county attorney wants the lawyer who filed suit punished, calling the allegations dirty.
The lawyer representing his accuser says not only can he back them up, but he's not backing down.
Anne Arundel County Executive John Leopold faces nasty allegations in a sexual harassment and gender discrimination lawsuit. Among them: He's addicted to women, he fondled a woman in his office, called another a pig, ordered police to run down license plates of women he found attractive, and would survey women coming into the Arundel Center with binoculars and get their names from security. Leopold strongly denies it all.
John Singleton is the lawyer who filed that suit on behalf of former county employee Karla Hamner.
Now, he's the subject of a motion for sanctions filed by the county attorney. It says the claims Singleton is making are lies, and he doesn't have the witnesses to back them up.
"Every single fact in this complaint I believe can be verified by witnesses," Singleton said.
Singleton says the complaint is good old fashioned bullying.
"This is certainly not going to be the end of it," Singleton said. "With all due respect to Mr. Leopold, I'm not going to back down."
The county's attorneys and representatives for Leopold did not return calls for comment. However, Leopold previously called the suit a publicity stunt to drag his name through the mud.
Plaintiff Hamner described one of the encounters that lead her to file it.
"He physically grabbed me by the upper arms and yelled, 'I want you to turn and face me like this. Get your hair out of your face,'" Hamner said.
The county wants a federal judge to hit her lawyer Singleton in his pockets with fines as punishment.
Singleton must respond by next week. He tells WJZ he will have a big announcement in this case then--so stay tuned.
The lawsuit against the county executive seeks $10 million in damages, including a $5 million fund to compensate any employee found to be victimized.
