Who Governs Maryland?
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews ANNAPOLIS — Every year, for 90 days, Maryland's General Assembly convenes, passes several...
Money and Finance
Moore raised $7 million — but that may be the smallest number in the story
A line-by-line review of Maryland’s campaign finance database shows a sophisticated, nationally connected fundraising...
Who Was Running Total Wine? Records Contradict Trone’s Claims of Arm’s-Length Management
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews For years, David Trone has offered voters a reassuring story: when he went to Congress, he...
Blind Date at the Ballot Box: Inside the Money Network Behind Montgomery County’s Judicial Elections
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Most voters can name their governor. Some can name their state delegate. Fewer can name...
The Airpark Influence Network: Donations, Oversight, and the Questions Facing Montgomery County
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews GAITHERSBURG, Md. — What began as a local dispute over aircraft noise and safety at the...
The Davis Money Web: How Jim Davis’ Personal Checks, Business Entities, and Foundation Footprint Extend Political Power in Maryland and Beyond
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Jim Davis is not just another wealthy donor writing the occasional campaign check. He is...
Inside the Trone Donor Network: How Family, In-Laws, and Coordinated Giving Amplify Political Influence in Maryland
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Campaign finance reports are often treated like a bureaucratic afterthought. They are...
The Annapolis Money Machine in 2026: Who’s Spending, Who’s Benefiting, and What Should Raise Eyebrows
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews If you want to understand Maryland politics, stop listening to the speeches about...
Jamie Raskin’s Political Money Machine: Millions Raised, Millions Spent — and Questions About Where It All Goes
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Rep. Jamie Raskin has built a national profile as one of the Democratic Party’s most...
The Annapolis Money Machine: How Maryland Campaign Cash Circulates Among Political Insiders
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Maryland politicians like to talk about transparency, accountability, and reform. But if...
The Ferguson Network: Money, Power, and the Architecture of Maryland’s Political Machine
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews In Maryland politics, power rarely reveals itself through a single headline or a dramatic...
Follow the Money: A Look at Rep. Johnny Olszewski’s Donor Network
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Fresh campaign finance filings offer a revealing look at the financial ecosystem...
April McClain Delaney: The Establishment’s Technocratic Moderate—or Just Another Cog in the Democratic Machine?
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Maryland’s 6th Congressional District has long been one of the most politically...
Van Hollen’s Off-Year Money Machine: A Look at His Top Donors Since 2025
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Chris Van Hollen is not on the ballot in 2026. His Senate seat is a Class III seat, meaning...
The Incumbent Advantage
By Michael R. Phillips | MDBayNews / Thunder Report Investigations As Maryland campaigns approach the March 5 campaign...
Baltimore Candidate Demands Utility Donations Be Returned — But the Bigger Question Is Annapolis’ Energy Politics
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews A Baltimore candidate is demanding that Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson return...
The Top 100 Donors Who Control Maryland Politics
By Michael R. Phillips | MDBayNews / Thunder Report For years, Maryland politicians have insisted that policy decisions in...
Out-of-State Money Is Reshaping Maryland Elections — And Voters Rarely Hear About It
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Maryland likes to present itself as a state driven by grassroots politics and local values....
FEC Filings Show Ed Hale Donated to Johnny O Despite Longtime GOP Claims
By Michael Phillips | MDBayNews Editor’s Note: This article was updated to include a response from Ed Hale. BBaltimore...
Public Records Show Longstanding State Tax Judgments for Newly Elected Annapolis Alderperson Diesha Contee
By Michael Phillips, MDBayNews Annapolis Ward 6 has elected a new alderperson, Diesha Contee, a well-known community...
Maryland’s Buyout Blunder: How a Cost-Cutting “Win” Became a Payroll Nightmare for 293 State Workers
In a state already staring down a multibillion-dollar budget gap, Governor Wes Moore’s Voluntary Separation Program (VSP)...
Time to Scrap Maryland’s Outdated Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program
In a state increasingly burdened by high taxes and outmigration, a bold proposal from Delegate Christopher Bouchat (R)...
Maryland’s Housing Exodus: When Regulation Becomes the Real Estate Crisis
Maryland’s latest economic report finally says what many families, builders, and small business owners have been shouting...
Maryland’s 430-Law October Surprise: Because Freedom Needed More Fine Print
Maryland just sprinted into October 1 with ~430 “new or improved” laws from the same session that already dropped ~300...
Wes Moore’s Energy Gamble: Rebates Today, Higher Bills Tomorrow
Marylanders are watching their electricity bills skyrocket, and Governor Wes Moore wants you to believe it’s all the...
Sarah Elfreth’s Rising Profile Comes With Rising Questions
Sarah Elfreth, Maryland’s freshman Representative, has enjoyed a rapid rise in Democratic politics. But with that rise...
The Postcard From L.A.: How “Field Team 6” Turns Hollywood Money and a Super PAC Loophole Into Voter Registration Machinery
When a Virginia voter opened the mailbox to find a glossy postcard postmarked Los Angeles urging them—via a QR code—to...
Wes Moore’s Italian Getaway Raises Questions About Gifts, Priorities, and Accountability
Maryland Governor Wes Moore is making headlines—not for bold leadership on crime or education, but for being spotted on a...
Brandon Scott’s Baltimore: Crime Stats, Spin, and the Reality on the Streets
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott loves to tout “historic reductions” in homicides and violent crime, but for many...
Pimlico’s $400M Reboot: A Welcome Investment—If Bureaucrats Don’t Blow It Again
By Michael Phillips The echoes of hooves pounding the dirt at Pimlico Race Course have quieted—for now. On July 24, 2025,...
Ten Ways Governor Wes Moore Has Impoverished Marylanders — And Why It’s Time to Rethink His Agenda
By Michael Phillips When Wes Moore was elected governor, many Marylanders bought into the soaring rhetoric of "Leave No One...
Luxury for the Few, Bills for the Rest: Maryland Taxpayers Foot the Bill for Frederick’s $100M Hotel Dream
By Michael Phillips In a move that exemplifies the modern progressive model of “economic growth” — where corporate...
The Smile That Taxed a Thousand Wallets: Wes Moore’s Charm Offensive Meets Maryland’s Economic Reality
By Michael Phillips Ah yes, the smiling governor. Wes Moore—part motivational speaker, part tax collector, all...
Freedom Wins: How Andy Harris and the House Freedom Caucus Just Protected Your Wallet from Government Control
By Michael Phillips In a time when the federal government seems increasingly eager to track, regulate, and control nearly...
Finally, A Course Correction: Why Shrinking the U.S. Department of Education Is Long Overdue
By Michael Phillips The Left is in meltdown mode after the Supreme Court’s July 2025 decision to uphold major cuts to the...
No Lifeguards, No Accountability: How Washington’s Bureaucratic Failures Put Maryland Families at Risk at Assateague
By Michael Phillips The Atlantic may be calm some days, but the political waters around Assateague Island are anything but....
“$20K Per Student—And They Still Can’t Read?”: John Myrick Calls Maryland’s Education System a Betrayal
By | July 2025 Maryland’s education budget is one of the largest in the nation. At nearly $20,000 per student, the...
Sticker Shock in the Mailbox: USPS Stamp Hike Hits Maryland Residents and Raises Broader Questions About Government Oversight
By Michael Phillips On July 13, 2025, the U.S. Postal Service officially raised the price of its First-Class Mail Forever...
How to Legally Avoid Maryland’s New Taxes and Fees: Smart Strategies and Cross-State Workarounds
By Michael Phillips As Maryland rolls out a wave of new taxes and fees—from mileage-based vehicle charges to expanded...
NYC: Don’t Be the Next Maryland 🛑
New York City faces a stark choice. Implementing aggressive tax-and-spend reforms like those proposed by Zohran Mamdani...