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With remarkable dispatch, the House Rules and Executive Nominations Committee voted unanimously Thursday morning to reject Republican Del. Daniel L. Cox鈥檚 attempt to impeach Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. (R).
The proceedings lasted all of six minutes, and House Minority Leader Jason C. Buckel (R-Allegany) made the motion to dismiss his fellow Republican鈥檚 impeachment resolution.
鈥淚 do not feel it meets the standards of impeachment in the state of Maryland,鈥� Buckel said. A unanimous voice vote to support Buckel鈥檚 motion followed.
Cox, a Frederick County lawmaker who is running to succeed Hogan in this year鈥檚 Republican primary for governor,聽聽on Feb. 10, arguing that Hogan鈥檚 management of the COVID-19 pandemic was corrupt and violated Marylanders鈥� personal freedoms.
Given four minutes to make his case for impeachment Thursday, Cox told the Rules panel that Hogan had trampled Marylanders鈥� constitutional rights, damaged businesses, ignored the constitutional role of the General Assembly to provide checks and balances, and 鈥渋ntentionally misled the legislature鈥� on the state鈥檚 procurement snafus during the height of the pandemic.
鈥淣o man, not even the president of the United States, is above the law,鈥� Cox asserted. 鈥溾�here is no king here in Maryland.鈥�
The lawmaker quoted the governor鈥檚 father, the late U.S. Rep. Lawrence J. Hogan Sr. (R), on abuse of power. The elder Hogan had been a pivotal Republican vote on the U.S. House Judiciary Committee in 1974, as it approved articles of impeachment against President Nixon.
Cox attempted to read the entire聽聽but was cut short by Rules Committee Chair Anne Healey (D-Prince George鈥檚).
鈥淲e can read it,鈥� she snapped.
One witness signed up to testify in favor of Cox鈥檚 measure at the early morning virtual hearing, but he did not appear.
The brief hearing and vote on Cox鈥檚 resolution followed public hearings on a trio of other conservative Republican proposals: A bill by Del. Sid R. Saab (R-Anne Arundel) to聽聽on state lawmakers, a resolution by Del. Mark N. Fisher (R-Calvert) for Maryland to聽聽to limit the powers of the federal government, and a resolution by Cox commemorating the Japanese聽.
Cox is competing in the Republican primary for governor with former Maryland Commerce Secretary Kelly M. Schulz and anti-tax gadfly Robin Ficker. Cox has been endorsed by President Trump, while Schulz is running with Hogan鈥檚 support.
