If investigation continues, Miller will consider stripping Currie of chairmanship

State Sen. Ulysses CurrieIn an interview with the Baltimore Sun Monday, state Senate President Thomas "Mike" V. Miller (D-Chesapeake Beach) raised the specter of removing Senate Budget and Taxation Committee Chairman Ulysses Currie (D-District Heights) from his leadership position over to the federal investigation into the Senator's ties with the Lanham-based company Shoppers Food and Pharmacy.

A legislator from Prince George's County for more than two decades, Currie's home was raided by federal agents early one morning in late May. He is allegedly the target of an investigation for accepting payments to intervene in state issues on the company's behalf. Currie never disclosed his consulting work for Shoppers Food and Pharmacy with the State Ethics Commission.

Miller told the Sun, "As with anyone who hasn't been charged and is presumed innocent, at this point there really isn't an issue as to him continuing as a chairman of Budget and Taxation Committee."

"If by January this issue hasn't been resolved, we'll have to make a decision."

Last month, Miller told PolitickerMD.com, "As I hear more [about the investigation] -- I think this is lessening," and affirmed that he thought Currie and still had shot at succeeding him as Senate president one day.