Phillip Harrison II, the grandson of former Del. Hattie Harrison (D-Balto.) has been indicted in connection with the theft of $17,600 in campaign funds, according to a statement from the state prosecutor’s office.
Harrison is charged in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court with felony theft, fraudulent misappropriation of campaign funds and an election law violation. He is accused of misusing campaign funds when he served as the treasurer of the “Hattie N. Harrison for Delegate” committee.
According to the indictment, Harrison wrote several checks out of the account for himself and Rehanna Singletary. Singletary was his girlfriend when the scheme started, but later became his wife.
According to the indictment, he continued to write checks to himself after he resigned from being treasurer of the campaign committee. He served as treasurer from July 2009 to Nov. 2009, but is accused of writing checks through Aug. 2010. He is accused of keeping the campaign checkbook in his possession after he was no longer in charge of dispersing the funds for the committee.
The indictment said the funds were used for personal expenses and that he forged the name of another treasurer on checks to pay bills for Comcast and Verizon.
Harrison faces a maximum of 21 years in prison and $40,000 in fines, if convicted of all charges.
Hattie Harrison, the matriarch of the Maryland House of Delegates, died Jan. 28, 213 at age 84, a year almost to the day that her grandson was indicted. She was beloved and known as the “fairy godmother” of the legislative chamber.
