Gov. Hogan initially said he would stand by aide on payment

By BRIAN WITTE
Associated Press

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan initially expressed support in a private message to his former chief of staff when a severance payment to him at the center of a federal indictment became public, but Hogan’s spokesman says the message was sent before he learned about how the payment was obtained. The Washington Post first reported Thursday that Roy McGrath provided the message to the newspaper. The undated message from Hogan to McGrath says he knows McGrath did nothing wrong and that he would stand by him. Hogan publicly has denied supporting the $233,647 severance payment McGrath received on leaving the Maryland Environmental Services last year.