🚨 The Wickr Governor: Larry Hogan’s Highway to Self-Enrichment

By Barry O’Connell

While Marylanders waited for a transformative transit solution in Baltimore, Governor Larry Hogan was busy rerouting more than just traffic. The $2.9 billion Red Line project, once poised to connect underserved communities to opportunity, was abruptly canceled by Hogan in 2015. In its place? A sprawling network of road projects that just happened to benefit his real estate holdings.

This wasn’t just a policy pivot. It was a calculated act of political self-dealing.

🛣️ From Rail to Real Estate

Hogan’s administration gave up $900 million in federal aid earmarked for the Red Line. Instead, he funneled state transportation funds into highway interchanges and sidewalk upgrades near properties owned by The Hogan Companies, his private real estate firm. Despite promises of a blind trust, Hogan retained direct access to company books and personnel, raising red flags about conflicts of interest.

One standout example: Hogan’s company acquired land near Brandywine Crossing in Prince George’s County. Months later, the state earmarked $58 million for a highway interchange just down the road. Legislators were never informed of Hogan’s stake before approving the project.

📱 Wickr: The Digital Smoke Screen

While these deals unfolded, Hogan and his top aides were communicating through Wickr, an encrypted messaging app with auto-delete features. Messages vanished within 24 hours, leaving no trace for public records requests. Chat rooms like “Inner Sanctum” and “Executive Team” discussed everything from infrastructure funding to COVID strategy.

Hogan’s defense? These were “casual conversations” with political advisers. But transparency advocates weren’t buying it. Lawmakers introduced the Transparency in Public Records Act to force retention of such messages and formally designate the Governor’s Office as a “unit of government” subject to record-keeping laws.

🧨 A Pattern of Evasion

This isn’t just about one app or one project. It’s about a governor who weaponized secrecy to shield self-enrichment. Hogan’s use of Wickr wasn’t incidental—it was strategic. It allowed him to evade oversight, dodge accountability, and bury the paper trail behind disappearing pixels.

And while Baltimore lost its rail line, Hogan’s properties gained value. The public got congestion. He got cash.

Link to Kiddie Porn

Wickr was bought by Amazon and rebranded AWS Wickr. When it was exposed as an avenue for exchanging Kiddie Porn AWS Wickr stopped acceptinngg new users. Makes me wonder how ExGovernor Hogan first started using Wickr?