A Maryland state senator told police his driver parked his SUV on a sidewalk and against a tree, but newly released video shows the senator himself behind the wheel the whole time.
Story Snapshot
- Maryland Sen. C. Anthony Muse’s Land Rover ended up on a sidewalk against a tree in Annapolis in early August.
- Surveillance video contradicts Muse’s claim that a “driver” parked the vehicle and left.
- Body camera footage shows officers let him leave without a sobriety test after he said he had “one drink.”
- Muse reportedly told officers “the Governor will take care of it” during the encounter.
What the Video Shows
Sen. C. Anthony Muse, a Democrat who represents Prince George’s County, told Annapolis police his SUV ended up parked on a sidewalk and against a tree because “my driver actually parked here” and then “left to go home.” Surveillance video from the scene tells a different story. It shows Muse himself behind the wheel before he got out and walked away alone, according to Fox Baltimore’s Spotlight on Maryland investigation.
The vehicle apparently struck a parked car in Annapolis’s Eastport neighborhood before coming to rest against the tree. Body camera footage newly obtained by reporters captured the full exchange between Muse and officers at the scene, giving the public its first detailed look at what really happened that night.
How Police Responded
Annapolis police say Muse told officers he had consumed only one drink when they questioned him about the crash. Despite a vehicle ending up on a sidewalk after apparently hitting a parked car, officers did not run a field sobriety test. They also let another licensed driver take the SUV away from the scene instead of holding it as evidence.
No breath test, no field sobriety check, and no deeper investigation followed, even though the senator’s own account of who was driving would later be contradicted by video. Neighbors in the area had already been asking why police said so little about the incident before the body camera footage surfaced weeks later.
The Comment About the Governor
During the roadside encounter, reporting on the newly released footage says Muse told officers “the Governor will take care of it,” a remark that has fueled questions about whether his position in state government shaped how the case was handled. Gateway Pundit, citing the Fox Baltimore footage, reported the line as part of its account of the traffic stop.
No records show the governor’s office intervened in the case. But the comment, paired with the light police response, has become the focal point for critics who argue the incident shows a double standard for elected officials caught in a minor crash.
Why This Story Resonates
Stories like this land hard because they touch a nerve shared by voters across the political spectrum. Whether someone leans left or right, many Americans already believe powerful people get treated differently than everyone else. A lawmaker allegedly lying about a crash, then walking away without a sobriety test, fits that suspicion exactly.
Body camera footage was supposed to settle these disputes by giving the public an objective record. In this case, it appears to have done exactly that, catching a gap between what a public official told police and what the video actually shows. That gap, more than any policy fight in Annapolis, is what has drawn attention to this case.
Muse has not offered a new public account addressing the surveillance video’s contradiction of his statement to police. Whether Annapolis police or state prosecutors reopen the matter now that the footage is public remains an open question, and any further action would need to follow standard investigative and legal steps.
Sources:
thegatewaypundit.com, foxbaltimore.com, youtube.com
