'Fowl Play' in E-mails Between Maryland Governor And Perdue GC?

'Fowl Play' in E-mails Between Maryland Governor and Perdue GC?
The general counsel of poultry giant Perdue Incorporated learned a hard lesson this week?that if the governor is an old law school chum, then watch out for those e-mails that can be subject to public information requests.

By Sue Reisinger
Corporate Counsel
May 14, 2012

The general counsel of poultry giant Perdue Incorporated learned a hard lesson this week—that if the governor is an old law school chum, then watch out for those e-mails that can be subject to public information requests.

A Washington, D.C.-based environmental group called Food & Water Watch has accused Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and Perdue GC Herbert Frerichs Jr. of having a “cozy relationship,” after the group made a Public Information Act request for all correspondence between the governor’s office and the poultry company.

In some 70 pages of e-mails, dating from July 2010 through November 2011 and reproduced on the group’s website, the GC and the governor discuss various issues relating to Perdue, such as proposals to generate energy from burning poultry manure.

O’Malley also sought Frerichs’ help in overcoming opposition among poultry-industry officials to his plan for putting a commercial wind farm off Ocean City. And the governor wanted to know why Perdue, based in Salisbury, Maryland, didn’t like the state’s agriculture secretary, Buddy Hance.

Frerichs responded, “I just feel like I’m trying to push a bunch of stuff and I don’t see him around. He’s not as strong as his counterparts in DE and VA. I work w[ith] all three.”

O’Malley replied: “I’m guessing you don’t have the personal e-mail of governors of DE or VA, so let me know when Buddy can/should be doing more to help you push stuff. I’m serious. I’ll have him call you Monday.”

The governor also sought Frerichs’ advice on how to soothe company chairman Jim Perdue's ruffled feathers over comments, made by the governor's then-press secretary, that poultry companies need to help in cleaning up the pollution in Chesapeake Bay. Frerichs had e-mailed O’Malley that his spokesman's comments upset Perdue.

Frerichs, who is also a partner with the Venable law firm in Baltimore while serving as Perdue’s GC, declined comment through a spokesperson.

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