Longtime State Highway Administrator Neil Pedersen announced his retirement several weeks ago, making comments similar to O’Malley’s that employees had disappointed him. His retirement became official June 30, the day before the audit was released, but he will continue to work through the fall for the state as an SHA consultant.

O’Malley said Wednesday that he did not fire Pedersen or ask him to retire.

“He served at the State Highway Administration for many, many years, and for the most part did a very, very good job,” O’Malley said.

Darrell Mobley, who had been a deputy secretary at the Maryland Department of Transportation — SHA’s parent agency — since January has been tapped as the highway administration’s interim chief. 

O’Malley said he will support Mobley and Transportation Secretary Beverly Swaim-Staley “if they determine further discipline needs to happen.”

As The Sun’s Michael Dresser reported Saturday, former SHA employee James Hagerty said he brought the golf tournament sponsorships to the attention of the auditors several years ago. He said that after raising concerns about the supervisor’s activities, he was the target of job retaliation.

Asked whether SHA officials had responded adequately to reports of questionable behavior, O’Malley said he wasn’t aware of any specific examples of problems. But, he added, “if that’s another shortcoming that needs to be addressed, we will do so.”

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