Tag: Matt Maciarello

Maciarello: I’ll keep Ruark for Foxwell case

Editor’s note 5/14/2022: This piece was brought home from Examiner.com.

According to a Greg Latshaw piece in today’s Daily Times, Republican State’s Attorney candidate Matt Maciarello has promised to keep current State’s Attorney Davis Ruark employed as a special prosecutor for the case against Thomas Leggs, who stands accused of murdering 11-year-old Sarah Foxwell last December. That case, which came to its sad conclusion on Christmas Day last year, attracted regional and national attention to the Salisbury area. Matt opined that Ruark “brings the most knowledge to the case,” according to Latshaw’s article.

The move is fraught with some peril in a political sense, though. Those who voted Ruark out based on his personal problems and treatment of the late Sam Vincent – who was on the verge of announcing a challenge to Ruark before his untimely death – might desire a clean break in the office and decide Democrat W. Seth Mitchell, who defeated Ruark in last week’s primary, could adequately prosecute what seems to most a slam-dunk case. But would Mitchell, a former public defender who’s “dedicated to criminal defense” (shown in the attached YouTube ad) seek the death penalty as many in Wicomico County wish?

The question may be the deciding factor in an election which has no clear favorite.

This is attached at the end of my Examiner piece, but I thought it was interesting enough to add here as well. How many of the people currently being prosecuted by the State’s Attorney’s Office were enticed by this ad? (Hint: when I found it the ad had 15 views.) But I lifted the quote directly from it.

A jam-packed day

It was a day of hot and cold running politicians.

Obviously a lot of them made the scene at the grand opening and ribbon cutting for the local Republican headquarters, with most making their way to the Wicomico County Republican Club Crab Feast held this afternoon.

But quite a few made it a bipartisan event at the St. Francis carnival held in Salisbury. State’s Attorney Matt Maciarello was all over the event but also seen were Mike and Julie Brewington, County Executive hopeful Joe Ollinger, and fellow County Executive candidate Tom Taylor working the wheel for the church. That was just in the few hours I spent there tonight. Nice carnival, by the way.

I think I’m going to hold the pictures and text for tonight since I plan on attending Chris Lewis’s Sharptown event tomorrow. This way I can make it one nicely wrapped package.

I also have other political items on the back burner which will become posts, so don’t fret. I took last week off to some extent because of personal business, but I think next week I’ll be back to normal.

Returning to the fold

Backed by friends and family in a press conference yesterday, Matt Maciarello announced he was back in the race for State’s Attorney to stay, according to published reports. He told those assembled that, “I acknowledge that I stumbled and that for some of you, I’ll lose your votes. But this is Matt Maciarello getting back up. I stand here today reorganized and with a re-energized campaign, ready to win the election.”

(continued on my Examiner.com page…)

A quick closing act

Just one day after he was nominated by the Wicomico County Republican Party, State’s Attorney candidate Matthew Maciarello announced his withdrawal. In a published report, Matthew said, “I would not have entered this race if I knew the race would devolve into free-for-all attacks against candidates that I respect.”

(continued on my Examiner.com page…)

One quote I didn’t use in the Examiner piece was where Matt said,  “I know my opponents are strong enough to endure the deluge of ridiculous attacks, however, I am ashamed and embarrassed that my entry into this campaign has had this negative effect.”

Well, they didn’t come from me, although I did bring up the Davis Ruark DWI incident from my archive because it was a legitimate issue of job performance – remember, he took a leave of absence because of it and there was serious debate as to whether or not Ruark should resign. The negative effect came from a number of people who were going to have this negative effect whether Matt jumped in or not.

But should Matt decide again to run for public office, this decision may come back to haunt him. He seems like a bright and likeable young man, so hopefully he will reconsider this perhaps rash decision and finish the job he agreed to do.