Aaron Penman, who was removed from the Harford County Council by a state court ruling earlier this year, has new allegations about the county’s Board of Ethics.

The board previously ruled that Penman’s simultaneous employment as a Sheriff’s Office sergeant and county councilman was a violation of ethics laws.

The board’s recent rulings “should” be rendered “invalid” because the county ethics board hasn’t been certified by the state since 2022, Penman said in a news release Tuesday. He claimed that violates state public ethics law.

Penman called it “egregious incompetence or lack of respect for the law.” His release included a letter from the state ethics commission, saying it had not received certifications for 2023 or 2024.

A spokesperson for the Harford County government rebuked Penman’s claims in an emailed statement, writing that the administration headed by County Executive Bob Cassilly is in close communication with the Maryland Board of Ethics, and working on updating the county’s ethics code to align with Maryland state law.

“It is not surprising that Mr. Penman would seek to undermine the Harford County Ethics Board,” read the statement, “which held him accountable for the conflict of interest inherent in his dual employment in taxpayer-funded positions as both a councilmember and a sheriff’s office employee.”

The spokesperson said that Penman was directed to resign by the Harford County Circuit Court, not the Board of Ethics, since his dual employment violated the Harford County charter.

Sun reporter Mathew Schumer contributed to this article.

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