(WBFF) — Republicans in Annapolis began calling for the termination of DHS Secretary Rafael López months ago after a stinging audit found deep seated problems at the agency and following the death of a 16-year old girl who was under the care of the Department of Human Services.
“I can’t understand why we’ve waited this long to make this change,” insisted Del. Ryan Nawrocki, R-Baltimore County.
ALSO READ | Department of Human Services Secretary Rafael López resigns
On Monday, López announced his resignation, becoming the ninth cabinet secretary to leave Governor Wes Moore’s administration.
“The governor has allowed individuals to be in positions for way too long,” Nawrocki said.
Republicans also pointed to the case of former Juvenile Services Secretary Vincent Schiraldi, who remained in his job for more than two years despite a critical state audit and months of staff complaints.
“I ordered his resignation,” Moore said in a radio interview in June.
Sen. Steve Hershey criticized the timing of that move.
“Thanks for finally getting around to something we all thought should’ve happened,” Hershey said.
Days before Schiraldi’s departure, Gov. Moore told FOX45 that problems within an agency can extend beyond its top leader.
“You have to have an understanding of everything that is taking place because the truth is one person is not responsible for the record drops we’ve seen in violent crime,” Gov. Moore said.
Critics have argued the governor’s actions have been too slow and that the consequences for Maryland have been significant. Nawrocki also accused Moore of being distracted by national ambitions.
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“A great deal of his time and brain power are being spent running for president and not the state of Maryland,” Nawrocki said.
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