Marilyn and Nick Mosby
Documents related to the “ghost” contributions from Marilyn Mosby’s dead grandfather
Untangling some of the financial dealings found in the public record
Above: Marilyn Mosby, in 2014, outside her Reservoir Hill home. (Fern Shen)
In response to reader interest, we are posting some of the documents that relate to the Brew’s story about the “ghost” donations made by Marilyn Mosby’s deceased grandfather.
The Baltimore power couple – she the state’s attorney now under federal indictment, and he the president of the City Council – said Prescott Thompson, who died in 2015, was erroneously listed for campaign contributions that were actually made by his widow, Marilyn Thompson.
The financial entanglements involving the Mosbys and the Thompsons began in November 2004 when Nick Mosby gained the power of attorney (POA).
This allowed Nick Mosby (not yet married to Marilyn Mosby) to act as her grandparents’ agent and attorney to finance the purchase of a house the Mosbys wanted to own in Baltimore’s Reservoir Hill.
Page 1 of the 2004 agreement giving Nick Mosby power of attorney for Prescott and Marilyn Thompson. (Mdlandrec.net)
The POA was notarized by Preston Thompson, the Thompsons’ son and Marilyn Mosby’s uncle. He is a former Boston policeman who had been discharged from the force for twice testing positive for drugs and was working as a security guard.
The 2004 agreement was notarized by Preston Thompson, Marilyn Mosby’s uncle.
Six months earlier, in May 2004, then-Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney had signed an executive order (No. 455) governing the activities of notaries public.
The order made it illegal for a notary to “witness the signature if the notary is a spouse, domestic partner, parent, guardian, child or sibling of the principal” except when prepared by a licensed attorney. [Emphasis ours.]
The notarization of the POA by Preston Thompson indicates that this prohibition was ignored by the family.
Following Prescott Thompson’s death in 2015, the POA powers of Nick Mosby expired, according to Maryland and Massachusetts estate law. Yet he continued to control the assets of Prescott Thompson.
And subsequently, both Nick Mosby’s and Marilyn Mosby’s political committees listed campaign checks coming from the deceased man.
On Wednesday, the Mosbys called the matter a “simple administrative oversight” that will be corrected.
Some of the contributions originating from the Thompson family home on file with the Maryland Board of Elections that were received after Prescott Thompson’s death.
Records show that Nick Mosby’s control of the Thompsons’ finances continues.
Last April, he and his wife obtained a $58,000 loan from The Harbor Bank of Maryland, secured by Nick signing as the POA for both Marilyn Thompson and the Estate of Prescott Thompson.
No record has been found indicating there is an estate for Prescott Thompson.
If one does exist, its assets should be distributed to the surviving widow and other beneficiaries by a Personal Representative, not used to obtain a loan to the Mosbys by means of an invalid POA signature.
Below is the deed of trust, listing Harbor Bank’s chairman, Joseph Haskins Jr., and CEO John Lewis as trustees for the Mosby loan. The deed was notarized by Brenda Jeter, Harbor Bank’s loan portfolio manager.
Deed of Trust (4 26 21 ) by Fern Marie on Scribd