The “Hero” Scam: How Annapolis Legalized Negligence and Buried the Constitution

By: Adam Reuter

It has been exactly six years since former Governor Larry Hogan declared a State of Emergency, effectively suspending the Maryland Constitution with the stroke of a pen. On March 5, 2020, under the pretext of public safety, the executive branch seized absolute power, bypassing the legislature and activating a legal machinery designed to crush dissent and immunize the state from its own negligence. We were promised a temporary response to a virus; what we got was a permanent scar on our civil liberties and a blueprint for how to dismantle a free society in real-time.

On April 4, 2020—less than a month into the “two weeks to flatten the curve” charade—while the rest of the state was busy baking sourdough and banging pots for the cameras, I issued a warning.

In a public video titled “Abolishing Governor Hogan’s Executive Orders” I didn’t just predict the disaster; I read the law. I explicitly warned that “the shutdown of the economy may cause more harm than the COVID-19 virus.”

Back then, the media called that dangerous misinformation. Today, looking at the shattered storefronts, the catastrophic learning loss, the drug overdose spikes and the permanent closure of thousands of small businesses, it is simply historical fact.

I also called out the class warfare immediately, noting that while “Governor Lawrence Hogan, his staff, the National Guard and the Maryland State Police are still able to collect paychecks,” the people deemed “non-essential” were left to rot. It was the “Zoom Class” vs. the Working Class from day one.

But while I was shouting about the Constitution, the politicians in Annapolis were busy crafting the ultimate “Cover Your Ass” legislation to ensure they could never be sued for the lives they destroyed.

If you thought the COVID-19 response was just incompetence, you’re not paying attention. It was a calculated, three-branch conspiracy to suspend the Constitution and immunize the state against its own citizens.

The Failed Cover-Up: SB 311 / HB 25

They knew they were exposed. That’s why, in 2021, the hospital lobbyists and their friends in Annapolis desperately tried to pass the “Maryland Health Care Heroes Protection Act” (SB 311 / HB 25).

This bill was designed to retroactively cement their immunity. They wanted a new law to explicitly say, “We can’t be sued for denying you care.”

But here is the kicker: The bill failed.

They couldn’t even get their own “Cover Your Ass” legislation through the General Assembly. The trial lawyers balked. The Constitutionally-minded legislators balked. The bill died in the Judicial Proceedings committee.

Ruling by Decree

So, what did they do when the democratic process failed to give them the immunity they wanted? They just kept using the Governor’s Executive Order.

This proves the tyranny perfectly. The Legislature did not grant them this specific retroactive immunity. The people’s representatives said “No.” But the Executive Branch (Hogan/Johnny O) continued to operate as if they had total impunity, relying solely on a “State of Emergency” declaration that lasted for two years.

The Article 44 Betrayal

Hogan’s entire scheme hinged on one big lie: that an emergency suspends the Constitution.

Article 44 of the Maryland Declaration of Rights exists explicitly to kill that lie. It states:

“…the provisions of the Constitution… apply, as well in time of war, as in time of peace; and any departure therefrom… under the plea of necessity… is subversive of good Government, and tends to anarchy and despotism.”

“Plea of necessity.” That is exactly what Hogan, Johnny Olszewski, Jr., and every other COVID-19 Lockdown Era tyrant used. “It’s necessary,” they screamed. “It’s for public safety!”

Article 44 says: We don’t give a sh*t.

The Constitution applies in war. It applies in peace. It applies when there is a virus. You cannot suspend civil liberties because you are scared. But they did it anyway. I called it out back in 2020, but it didn’t matter. The government has the literal guns and other weapons to force all of us into submission.

The Towson Stand: Out-Producing the Propaganda

It wasn’t enough to just post videos online. I took the fight to the physical seat of power.

In September 2021, while the County Executive was hiding behind Zoom screens and press releases, I set up my own “podium” directly in front of the Baltimore County Historic Courthouse in Towson.

I stood on the exact same stones where the County Executive would bark his unconstitutional orders. But unlike the County—whose Facebook live feeds were often plagued by technical glitches and potato-quality audio—I came prepared. I set up three camera angles. I used professional audio gear. I went “all out” to ensure that the message was crystal clear, literally and figuratively.

The symbolism was intentional. The government was giving you static; I was giving you high-fidelity truth.

While they used that backdrop to demand compliance, I used it to demand accountability. I spoke the truths the media refused to air—about the mandates, the Constitutional violations, and the scientific realities they were suppressing.

I didn’t ask for permission to speak on our public property. I just did it. And for the people walking by and the thousands watching online, the contrast was undeniable: The County looked like a chaotic bureaucracy trying to hide something, and The Baltimore Informer looked like the only professional operation in town.

TV Hill: The State-Sponsored PR Firm

While small businesses were being crushed and “non-essential” workers were forced into the unemployment line, there was one group that never missed a paycheck: The Media.

Governor Hogan didn’t just shut down the state; he curated who survived. And right at the top of his “Essential Personnel” list were the journalists on TV Hill.

It was a brilliant, cynical move. By declaring the media “essential,” Hogan effectively bought their loyalty. He created a protected class of stenographers who were allowed to roam freely while you were under house arrest.

The Quid Pro Quo was obvious:

• The State allowed TV stations to keep their lights on, their ad revenue flowing (from the few corporate giants left standing), and their reporters on the payroll.
  
• The Media, in return, became the enforcement arm of the narrative. Instead of questioning the constitutionality of the orders, they shamed anyone who dared to defy them.

Remember the tone? It wasn’t journalism; it was judgment. Anchors sat in their sanitized studios—or worse, broadcasted from their comfortable living rooms—lecturing you about “staying home to save lives.” They didn’t have to worry about how to pay their mortgage or feed their kids because the Governor made sure their industry was immune to the economic suicide he forced on everyone else.

They weren’t reporting the news; they were amplifying the fear. They ignored the Article 44 violations because those violations didn’t apply to them. They didn’t care about your business rights because their business was booming.

If the media had been shut down like the rest of us—if their revenue had been cut off, their doors locked, and their staff furloughed—you can bet your ass they would have discovered the Constitution overnight. They would have been screaming about “freedom of the press” and “government overreach” within 24 hours.

But they weren’t shut down. They were bought off. And for two years, they didn’t act like the watchdog of the people; they acted like the lapdog of the State. They aren’t just observers of this disaster; they are accomplices.

The Billion-Dollar Bribe: Informed Consent vs. Paid Propaganda

While the politicians were stripping away your rights, the media was busy stripping away your right to know why.

Under 21 U.S. Code § 360bbb–3, the federal law governing Emergency Use Authorizations (EUA), the government is legally required to ensure that anyone receiving these products is informed of:

1. The significant known and potential risks.
2. The option to accept or refuse administration of the product.

Did you hear that on WBAL? Did you see that on WJZ? Did they tell you that under the PREP Act, you have zero right to sue Pfizer or Moderna if the vaccine kills you or leaves you paralyzed? Did they tell you that you were participating in a massive clinical trial with no legal recourse?

Hell no.

Instead, they took that sweet Maryland Department of Health money and ran propaganda ads during nearly every commercial break. They didn’t just fail to report the risks; they were paid to hide them.

By accepting millions in taxpayer dollars to promote a one-sided narrative, the media became accomplices in violating federal informed consent laws. They weren’t journalists; they were marketing executives for the state. They sold their audience down the river for ad revenue, ensuring that “fully informed” consent was impossible for the average Marylander.

They didn’t just fail us. They actively conspired to strip us of our legal recourse and our right to know the truth.

1. The Executives broke Article 44.
2. The Legislature failed to pass immunity, but let the Governor take it anyway.
3. The Media took the bribe and hid the risks.
4. MDOT turned our highways into billboards for the state narrative.

That isn’t governance. That is a racket. And it’s time we stopped calling them heroes and started calling them what they are: defendants.