🧭 Rash Judgment and Reasonable Disagreement
📸 A wide shot of Baltimore’s skyline
🧱 The Facts Haven’t Changed, But the Frame Might
Yesterday’s piece laid out a clear timeline: Ron Lipscomb, once implicated in the bribery scandal involving Council Member Ho;ton, is now facing lawsuits from Chinese EB-5 investors over a failed hotel project near Johns Hopkins[^1]. These are not allegations—they’re documented events. And Cory McCray’s proximity to Lipscomb at a Business Connect event raised questions I felt compelled to ask.
But facts alone don’t tell the whole story. Politics is a prism, not a mirror.
🧠 A Gentle Challenge from Someone Who Knows Him
After publishing, I heard from someone I trust deeply. She’s done tremendous good in Maryland politics and public service. Her message was simple: “You may be right about the facts, but you might be wrong about the man.”
She served with McCray when he was a Party officer. She remembers him as principled, thoughtful, and committed. Her memories aren’t mine, but they’re real. And they deserve space in this conversation.
🧭 I May Have Been Too Quick to Judge
I’m not retracting the piece. But I am reflecting on it. I may have taken a set of facts and drawn conclusions that others, good, honest people, would not have drawn. That doesn’t make me wrong. But it does mean I should have been more contemplative.
McCray’s inclusion of Lipscomb may have been coalition-building, not endorsement. It may have been pragmatic politics. It may have been something else entirely. And while I still believe scrutiny is warranted, I now understand why others might see McCray’s actions differently.
🗳️ My Own Biases Are Part of the Story
I was never a Tom Perez supporter, though many of my friends were. I backed Peter Franchot, whose campaign fizzled despite his potential. Had Wes Moore not run such a strong primary, we might be talking about Governor Perez today. That’s the nature of politics, fluid, unpredictable, and deeply personal.
My lens is shaped by my loyalties. I admit that.
🤝 Disagreement Doesn’t Mean Disrespect
There are people I admire who see Cory McCray as a beacon of integrity. That matters. It doesn’t erase the public record, but it complicates the narrative. And if I’m going to write about politics in Maryland, a state blessed by God and burdened by history. I owe it to my readers to reflect that complexity.
So today’s piece is not a correction. It’s a conversation. And I hope it invites more of them.
📸The public square is messy—but it’s where we find each other.
📝 Footnotes
1: EB-5 lawsuit against Lipscomb: [Baltimore Brew article on investor fraud allegations