By Lori Jaffe

Some of our very own local representatives and organizations have been in the national and local spotlights recently – for all the wrong reasons. Below we have highlighted a few that we think deserve to be in the “MoCo Hall of Shame.”

Category: Illegal Immigration

The Sergeant Schultz Award

 Winner: Maryland Senator Chris Van Hollen

For seeing nothing suspicious about alleged MS-13 gang member Kilmar Abrego Garcia, traveling to El Salvador at taxpayers’ expense to visit him and encouraging President Trump to bring him back to Maryland.

The Daily Caller reported, “Since March, Democrats have rallied behind Abrego Garcia after he was deported to El Salvador’s mega-prison by the Trump administration, with Democrat Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen leading the push for lawmakers to meet with him in Central America. When Fox host Sean Hannity asked (Tom) Homan if he had a message for the lawmakers — some of whom made the trip on taxpayer dollars —the border czar said they turned a blind eye to the issue under the Biden-Harris administration.”

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Category: Children’s Education

The “Big Brother Knows Best” Award

Winner: Montgomery County Public School Board

For taking away Montgomery County parents’ ability to opt their children out of instruction that incorporates LGBTQ+ inclusive storybooks into the English language arts curriculum in elementary schools.

Bethesda Magazine reported, “Melissa Persak, a Catholic mother of two MCPS students and one of the plaintiffs named in the suit, told the press that MCPS put her family into a ‘difficult and unjust’ situation by eliminating the opt-out policy.

‘No parent should have to choose between preserving their religious beliefs and sending their children to public school today,’ Persak said. ‘Today, we ask the justices to uphold our freedom to raise our children according to our faith and values, free from government interference.’”

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Category: School Safety

The Alfred E. Neuman Award  

(aka “What, Me Worry?” Award)

Winner: Councilmember Dawn Luedtke

For caring more about “the law” than she does about children’s safety and for unnecessarily adding to the Montgomery County Police Department workload.

Councilmember Dawn Luedtke’s official website says, “Dawn is a certified law enforcement trainer on school safety...” But WUSA9 reported that residents were dissatisfied with the outcome of a March 24, 2025 community meeting (7:07) over proposed drug rehab facilities to be established near Greenwood Elementary School. Many people in her district disagree with the law and think that Luedtke doesn’t care enough about their children’s safety. They have even started a petition.

At the same meeting, MCPD Wheaton District Commander David Smith said that because of the amount of attention that this is drawing, it is definitely at the top of his priority list for this community. Why are we adding more work to our already overburdened police force?

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The “Orange Man Bad” Award

Winner: Maryland Representative Jamie Raskin (District 8)

For continuing his crusade against President Donald Trump by threatening foreign governments if they cooperate with Trump.

The New York Post reported, “'Implicit in it should be the idea that if and when we come back to power — and we will — we are not going to look kindly upon people who … facilitated authoritarianism in our country,' Raskin told 'Pod Save America' host Tommy Vietor..."

“Raskin added that his party needs to engage ‘in far more work of transnational Democrat solidarity’ to try and ‘prevent the spread of lawlessness and the fascist chaos that’s been unleashed against us.’

Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, has emerged as one of the most vocal critics of Trump in Congress.”

This is nothing new. Raskin has been on his anti-Trump crusade for years. Bless his heart.

Are you tired of the way your representatives are governing? If so, please join us in bringing back common sense solutions to Montgomery County. Thank you!

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Lori Jaffe is the Party Secretary for the Montgomery County Republican Central Committee, Member of the Executive Board and publisher of the MCGOP Digest. She can be reached at [email protected]