Retired U.S. marshall Matthew Fogg has never run for federal office before. But he knows the federal government well . . . because he sued for discrimination in 1998. Now, as a candidate for the Democratic nomination to represent Maryland’s 4th congressional district, he is pitching himself to voters as the antidote everything people don’t like about Capitol Hill.
Here are five interesting things about Fogg:
9/11: Fogg was a few blocks away from Ground Zero when the Twin Towers were attacked in 2001. He ran to help, and was part of a group of people photographed by People magazine pas they carried the body of a city firefighter from the wreckage.
Len Bias: Fogg, who at the time was supervising the fugitive task force in the Washington region, arrested the man who was suspected of selling cocaine to University of Maryland basketball player Len Bias, who overdosed and died in 1986. Brian Tribble was later cleared of involvement in Bias' death but served time for drug dealing.
Lawsuit: Matthew Fogg sued the Department of Justice for racial discrimination and a jury awarded him $4 million in damages in 1998. On appeal, government attorneys argued the award should be capped at $300,000, per congressionally-mandated limits.
Bigots with Badges: Fogg owns the trademark "Bigots with Badges" following the publication of a story in the New York Post that featured that headline and told the story of Fogg's years as a marshal and his lawsuit against the Justice Department.
Whistleblower: After leaving the force, Fogg spent his retirement advocating for greater protections for officers who expose internal corruption within law enforcement agencies .
