Citizens React to Muse Appointment
By Barry O’Connell
September 24, 2025
Let’s be clear: this isn’t just about a $212,000 job. It’s about a system that rewards loyalty over competence, silence over scrutiny, and proximity over performance. The appointment of Senator C. Anthony Muse to a newly created county role—without public vetting, without clear qualifications, and without any visible deliverables—is not an isolated incident. It’s a symptom.
And the fever is rising.
Dave Grogan: “Enough Is Enough”
After I published my recent Substack article on the Muse appointment, Dave Grogan—a retired DOJ official and four-time candidate for public office—offered a response that deserves amplification. His words cut through the fog:
> “In Prince George’s County, it’s not about experience or qualifications—it’s about nepotism, cronyism, and a type of political colonialism where a small network decides who gets in and who gets shut out.”
This is not hyperbole. It’s lived experience. Grogan applied for local positions after retiring in 2013 and never received a single interview. Meanwhile, his post-retirement career flourished in Washington, D.C., Montgomery County, and surrounding districts—places that actually value expertise. That contrast tells the whole story.
The Cost of Loyalty Politics
We pay the highest taxes in Maryland. Yet we suffer from underperforming schools, high crime, limited upscale retail, and a stream of poor decisions at the top. Residents see the results, but few understand the origins.
Grogan continues:
> “Too many people in key roles have no expertise in the areas they control. That vacuum is exploited by outsiders—predatory lenders, developers, white-collar criminals—who know dysfunction equals profit.”
This is the architecture of exploitation: familiar faces on the front cover, with extractive interests behind the curtain. From no-doc loans that trapped homeowners to HOAs and developers lining up for liens and foreclosures, our community has been treated as a marketplace for dysfunction.
Braveboy’s Role in the Decay
County Executive Aisha Braveboy, who took office in June 2025, has already drawn criticism for her executive order pausing data center development without a clear plan for economic replacement. Now, with the Muse appointment, she’s signaling that insider loyalty—not public accountability—is the currency of her administration.
The job Muse received was not posted publicly. No qualifications were shared. No deliverables were defined. And yet, the salary—$212,000—is higher than most department heads. What exactly is he being paid to do?
Why I Ran—and Why I’ll Keep Running
I didn’t run for office because I needed a job. I ran because I saw the rot. I saw how our community was being misled, mismanaged, and monetized. I ran in 2014, 2018, 2022, and I’m preparing for 2026—not because I enjoy campaigns, but because I refuse to be silent.
This is my home. And I will protect it.
If calling for accountability makes some people uncomfortable, so be it. If exposing the truth threatens the networks that profit from silence, good. We are not here to make friends—we are here to make change.
Enough is enough.
A Voice of Experience: Dave Grogan
Before we dive into the reader response, let’s acknowledge the source. Dave Grogan is not just any reader—he’s a 25-year retired Deputy U.S. Marshal and a respected Substack author whose insights on governance, justice, and community accountability have earned him a loyal following. His platform, Dave Grogan on Substack, is a must-read for anyone serious about reform and transparency.
Grogan’s commentary on the Muse appointment isn’t just personal—it’s forensic. He’s lived the consequences of exclusionary politics and has spent decades in service to the rule of law. When someone with his credentials speaks out, we should listen. And when his experience mirrors the dysfunction many of us feel, we should act.