Developers had projects
before Council in Westbard,
Bethesda Downtown,
Rock Spring sector plans
Exclusive investigative report
Montgomery County Council President Hans Riemer has met privately with developers who donated to his Council campaigns, and charged taxpayers for his travel costs to those private meetings, according to Montgomery County Council reimbursement records. Riemer also did not disclose these private, ex parte communications at the next Council meeting, as he is required to do. Like all Council members, Riemer sits as a land-use commissioner when the Council votes on land-use and zoning issues as the "District Council."
 |
| Riemer meets Westbard developer privately at La Madeleine, who then donates money to Riemer's campaign, and Riemer then charges taxpayers for his gas money to and from the meeting, Council records show |
Riemer met with Larry Walker of The Walker Group privately at Clyde's Tower Oaks restaurant on October 31, 2016. Walker has contributed $2400 to Riemer's campaigns, including $100 in May 2017.
 |
| Riemer demands reimbursement from taxpayers for his private meeting with downtown Bethesda developer who had given him almost $1000 |
Riemer requested reimbursement from taxpayers for all three private meetings with his donors, according to Council records.
It's no secret Hans Riemer is cozy with developers, as his voting record and campaign finance reports clearly show. But even an ethically-corrupt politician like Riemer cannot be allowed to charge taxpayers for private meetings with his campaign donors, nor to violate ex parte communications rules. Private meetings with donors can only be paid for with political campaign funds, not taxpayer funds.
Local media, including The Washington Post, have refused to report on this late-breaking scandal I uncovered. In fact, the Post's Montgomery County political reporter Jennifer Barrios hasn't written a single sentence about the County Council At-Large general election race. Intriguingly, while the Post has declined to investigate any of the scandals I've forwarded to Barrios and reporter Robert McCartney throughout the election, it dispatched a reporter at the 11th hour to write a hit piece on a Republican in Anne Arundel County regarding a...developer scandal (which is a nothingburger compared to the scandals of Riemer, others on the Council, and the Planning Board).
The question is, why does the Post not want you to know about the questionable activities of Hans Riemer and other Montgomery County officials? This is a question that must be answered, regardless of the outcome of Tuesday's election. Secondly, the State Board of Elections and Montgomery County Office of the Inspector General should investigate Riemer's activities, which appear to be violations of both ethics rules and campaign finance laws.
Third, it's time for voters to oust Riemer on Tuesday, and his cartel-funded running mates Gabe Albornoz, Evan Glass and Will Jawando, who each have received thousands of dollars from developers.
36 comments:
And he'll likely win along with Gillum in FL. Dems voters could care less if their candidates clubbed baby seals in public they'd still vote the ticket.
If Robert Dyer is elected, he will force Hans Riemer to return $13.18 in improper reimbursements, to the County.
Altering the photo of your opponent is a juvenile thing to do. Petty, rinky-dink.
How could anyone trust the story isn't also altered to fit your narrative?
You're probably a mustache vandal too.
Mustache Vandalism is when a person, if they see a picture of someone they don't like, and it's within reach, draws a mustache, beard, or both on the picture.
@ 5:30
It's the ex parte that is the real issue. Democrats are so greedy, he actually left a paper trail for $13.18 , lmao
Looks like Flower Child had plenty of customers last night. How is your report a "sneak preview"?
"Wait at your seat with your number, and servers will bring you your meal when it is ready"
Why does this merit a photo? This is literally what every fast-casual restaurant in the area does. And now McDonald's, too.
All y'all can always put my name down as a write-in candidate for County Council!
Saith Blogger Robert Dyer: "The Washington Post dispatched a reporter at the 11th hour to write a hit piece on a Republican in Anne Arundel County regarding a...developer scandal (which is a nothingburger compared to the scandals of Riemer, others on the Council, and the Planning Board)."
From the Post:
"Anne Arundel County’s recent $2.6 million purchase of land near the Chesapeake Bay has come under scrutiny in the race for county executive, with the Democratic challenger accusing County Executive Steve Schuh (R) of paying an inflated price to bail out a political supporter."
I would say that $2.6 million is a much bigger "burger" than $13.18.
It looks like Amazon is getting closer to selecting moribund Crystal City as their second headquarters. While it's disappointing that they didn't select White Flint or some other site in Montgomery County, it is nevertheless a yuuuge victory for MoCo Cartel developer JBG Smith, who are already building their trophy headquarters in Bethesda.
@6:42 No he probably got paid by the restaurant to give a review, so he closed comments so the article won't be full of the usual gang of commenters.
5:57am true, if only you'd post with your real name.
"If only you'd post with your real name"...says Anonymous.
The irony of Crystal City getting Amazon HQ2 is that Crystal City is the example everyone uses in MoCo of what they don't want to be.
I just think White Flint is just too far from the center of gravity (DC) to win, unless Amazon really wants a self contained campus luke Apple.
There's no easy way to get from White Flint to anywhere (DC, the airports, etc.) Should have pitched downtown Bethesda instead.
6:50am you make that false claims here yet other sites are getting full paid meals for writers. Whole groups of unpaid interns scarfing down free pizza.
"The irony of Crystal City getting Amazon HQ2 is that Crystal City is the example everyone uses in MoCo of what they don't want to be."
"Should have pitched downtown Bethesda instead."
The reason both Crystal City and the former White Flint Mall were considered, was because they are both large, mostly vacant properties. There is no similar site in downtown Bethesda. And Crystal City is largely vacant now, because it is what most people "don't want to be" anymore.
@ 7:06 AM "waaa waaa waaa interns waaa waaa waaa"
7:09 AM There's no space in downtown Bethesda for a new office tower that would accommodate Amazon?
From the list of HQ2 finalists- Crystal City, NYC and Dallas are all urban choices. White Flint isn't on the same level at all.
Maybe this is all a head fake and MoCo will get HQ2, but I'm just relying on news reports in the Post and WSJ.
6:58 aka "Anonymous" - Sweetie, I was born Anna Van Horn...it can't get any realer than that.
@ 7:13 AM ="waaa waaa waaa" at Dyer's sneak preview
Dyer won't allow comments on the restaurant article copied and pasted to the Rockville blog, either.
7:22 AM Good. That means you can't try to post crazy comments on a restaurant preview piece.
@ 7:18 PM - The site in New York City is not in Manhattan. It is in Long Island City, Queens - most likely a large defunct industrial site waiting to be redeveloped.
And the site in Dallas is similar.
Again, no comparison to Bethesda. Where is there a site that can accommodate 10 million square feet of office space, that can be easily assembled, cleared and redeveloped?
If I was Amazon, I'd be concerned that my employees would be trapped in the White Flint campus. Traffic is already gridlocked in the area. Metro is a mess and wouldn't help folks living north of Shady Grove station. Metro into DC is a slow, unreliable ride. Recipe for disaster!
I love what Dyer is doing for MoCo with these reports!
The non-public meetings the council and the planning commission have with developers about pending matters raises doubts about the integrity of the process. People with good judgment would recognize that and avoid taking these meetings.
These things need to happen in the open and on the record, or at least on the record. Parts of that record may be sealed to the public, but all of the information would be available in official form to all decision makers.
Just vote for Robert Dyer only in the At-Large race. This not only gives Robert your vote, but also reduces Robert's opponents' vote totals by one each.
That’s not how elections work. Casting a vote for one candidate does not “reduce” the vote tallies of others.
Why is Robert Dyer spreading misinformation on his other campaign website? Or does he simply not understand how any of this (elections, math, etc.) works?
Riemer needs a smart set of frames for Christmas!
11:15 AM Residents appreciate Dyer's news, reviews and previews of MoCo's newest restaurants!
My God, I love what Dyer is doing for MoCo with these reports. There's never been this kind of daily tick tock of everything happening!
12:00pm agreed! I erupt when the email newsletter goes out daily! Daily dispatches right to our mailbox.
12:22 PM I love this online community!
12:29 PM That wouldn't exactly be a reason to celebrate.
Four more years of traffic gridlock, terrible business climate, increase in homicides, overcrowding schools, more Westbard fiascos etc.
And no Amazon.
12:55 - Having Dyer on the council would not have a positive effect on any of those things.
12:59 PM Dyer is constant as the Northern Star- he'll be here.
Tomorrow night the voters will render their verdict on Robert Dyer.
Riemer will stop at nothing to hold on to power and privilege.
Post a Comment