The issue focused on tax laws and federal political pay.

It has also involved legal battles with police officers. In September, civil rights attorney Lee Jackson brought a lawsuit against O'Malley's government when he alleged that O'Malley did not appear to do enough to address criminal justice problems in his state. The Justice Department eventually settled the case for $10 million.

In 2012, Attorney General Eric Holder announced an investigation into police misconduct at O'Malley's law enforcement agency. While some lawyers had accused