HOLLYWOOD, Md. (March 17, 2016)—The cease and desist order that shut down the Southern Maryland Veterans Association last month is still in affect after the organization's director appealed the decision of the Maryland Secretary of State last week.
Daniel Timothy Brashear wanted to have the cease and desist order lifted, state officials said, but the hearing officer in the matter—the assistant secretary of state—did not make a determination.
The hearing took place over two days, March 9 and March 10, state officials said. The record remained open for 10 days following the hearing.
The charity is still barred from accepting or soliciting donations, state officials said.
"The cease and desist order is still in affect," a state official told The County Times. "There's no decision that's been made. It's still an ongoing matter."
Officials said it would likely be several more weeks before the hearing officer made a decision on whether to lift the cease and desist order.
According to a press release from Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh, both Brashear—the charity's founder—and Norman Randolph McDonald, who up until recently was in charge of collections, were named in the cease and desist order.
Brashear has accused McDonald of embezzling money from the charity.
The shut down of the charity was in response to multiple complaints, according to state authorities, and an investigation alleged that the organization was not assisting the housing needs of veterans as was claimed in marketing materials.
At the hearing, Brashear said the state brought out complaints against his organization that were made anonymously. Brashear also said state officials had presumed his guilt in public statements they made about his organization.
He said he did not believe that he had been treated fairly and that the state would likely keep the cease and desist order in place.
"I think they're going to run it under the status quo," Brashear said.
He also claimed that he sent the state the list of veterans he had housed at the shelter, but the state was not satisfied because he did send copies of their discharge papers to prove their service.
Brashear said he would not release the documents because he wanted to protect the veterans' privacy, particularly regarding their medical information.
Brashear also said that accusations alleging his organization had housed pedophiles were false. They housed one sex offender, Brashear said, but that person was a veteran and had been involved with an adult.