A spokesman for the Maryland Democratic Party said the group backed the recent decision of a government watchdog group to file a complaint against Gov. Robert Ehrlich’s personal lawyer with the State Ethics Commission.

Common Cause Maryland’s accusation that David Hamilton has acted more as a lobbyist than a lawyer for Ehrlich resounds with state Democrats, according to party communications director, David Paulson.

“It means Bob Ehrlich is letting his friends, his personal lawyer, do business behind the scenes, in the dark, in smoke-filled rooms without public scrutiny,” Paulson said. “This is what we mean by a culture of corruption.”

A message left for Hamilton at his Baltimore law firm was not returned Wednesday. A spokesman for Ehrlich said the governor’s office would not comment on the issue. “We don’t have any comment,” said Henry Fawell, press secretary for Ehrlich.

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The general counsel for the Maryland State Ethics Commission said his office does not comment on the existence, or non-existence, of complaints or requests for investigations filed with the commission. Robert Hahn said his office begins an investigation into a complaint when it raises significant concerns. Investigations generally end in one of three ways: Dismissal, remedying the situation or holding a hearing to find a violation or admission of a violation. Hahn said the investigation only becomes public information when a hearing is held.

Allegations have flown around Hamilton in recent months linking him to efforts to block opposition to bringing a liquefied natural gas terminal to the Baltimore port region. Paulson said Hamilton should have registered with the state as a lobbyist if he was going to engage in that kind of activity. But Paulson also said that were Hamilton to become a lobbyist, that would preclude other important work he does for Ehrlich.

ejacobson@dcexaminer.com