When James Appel cruised out of Annapolis for a “Trump 2020″ flotilla in Crisfield, he made the voyage aboard his 29-foot Downeast trawler.
By the time the top Maryland Republican finance expert set off for the Bahamas in November 2023, he and his wife had upgraded at least twice.
They were aboard a 65-foot Pacific Mariner with room for six, christened Chasing Sunsets. The Appels were on a monthslong voyage, one they would repeat the following winter, posting photos and comments to a cruiser Facebook group along the way.
“Doesn’t suck,” he wrote.
Now, Appel has joined the long line of Maryland political figures accused of putting their hands in other people’s pockets. From stuffing bras with cash to stealing gift cards from poor children, this state has a sorry history of sticky fingers.
Understanding why it keeps happening is hard.
You can marvel at the audacity or lament the greed. You can argue that it’s more often Democrats than Republicans because they dominate state politics, but money loves power.
Most people in public office pass the morals test. Maybe the best way to explain those who don’t is the pull of the feeling that they’re entitled to something more.
“I just paid off the vice president of the United States.”
That’s one of many allegations uncovered by an FBI investigation of Spiro Agnew, Maryland’s patron saint of corruption.
The Lutherville Republican rose higher than any other Maryland politician and fell just as far. Chosen as Richard Nixon’s vice president, Agnew resigned in 1973.
He didn’t contest charges that he cheated on his taxes while governor by failing to declare $29,000. But investigators had evidence that he took $150,000 over 10 years as Baltimore County executive, governor and vice president.
Agnew just seemed to believe he deserved more money. If it wasn’t for him, Gov. Marvin Mandel would top Maryland’s dishonor roll.
The Baltimore Democrat took $350,000 — including a diamond-studded platinum bracelet and cash to help with his divorce — to influence the 1971 sale of an Upper Marlboro racetrack. He served 19 months in federal prison.
A judge eventually overturned Mandel’s conviction, saying the law used to convict him in 1977 was too broad. But no one argued that the governor didn’t take that bracelet and give it to the wife he soon left, Bootsie.
Prince George’s County Executive Jack Johnson and his wife, Councilwoman Leslie Johnson, went way beyond Mandel in sheer numbers.
The Democrats were convicted in 2011 of accepting $1.6 million in developers’ bribes. At one point, the FBI overheard him telling her to flush a $100,000 check down the toilet and hide $80,000 in her underwear drawer.
Outrageous entitlement also explains Catherine Pugh and Sheila Dixon, mayors of Baltimore. From 2011 to 2019, Pugh took kickbacks on her “Healthy Holly” children’s book series. Dixon pilfered gift cards intended for poor families from 2004 to 2006.
Then there was Roy McGrath, former aide to Gov. Larry Hogan. So convinced of his value, he used state funds for cars, office furniture and a lavish severance package. After catching investigators’ eyes, he died after shooting himself in a 2023 gunfight with FBI agents.
Sometimes, it’s not even about money.
Prosecutors charged state Sen. Dalya Attar last year with trying to blackmail a political consultant who once worked for her.
And how do you comprehend John Leopold? The Anne Arundel County executive was convicted of abusing his office in 2013 by — among other odd things — using his security detail to keep his girlfriends apart.
Into this litany come the allegations against Appel, who has pleaded not guilty.
He ran for office once, but his clout was as treasurer for Republican campaigns statewide. Like others in Annapolis, he loves life on the water.
After President Donald Trump lost in 2020, Appel and his wife took their 46-foot Beneteau Antares, dubbed Liberty, on a trip around the eastern United States and parts of Canada.
“After a two-month break, M/Y Liberty is leaving Annapolis today to continue her loop,” Appel posted to Facebook in June 2023.
He wanted more. He started looking for a loan to buy Chasing Sunrise.
That’s how Appel got into trouble, according to his March 26 federal indictment for wire fraud and money laundering.
BankNewport turned him down in April 2023, but by October, he’d found another lender.
“We bought our boat in FL in November and our broker got us a 90 day temporary FL registration so we didn’t have to pay FL sales tax,” Appel wrote in January 2024 as he prepared to cross from Fort Lauderdale to the Bahamas.
Appel documented his trip with photos of Chasing Sunsets, the sunsets they caught and restaurants they found hidden among the islands.
“Definitely one of the best days so far. Short trip from Allan’s Cay to Highbourne, beautiful scenery, saw some wild life, great dinner on board and ending with a cigar and bourbon,” he wrote in February. “Doesn’t suck.”
By spring, prosecutors say, Appel was into an illegal scheme to refinance his loan by shuffling other people’s money to make it appear he was wealthier than he was.
Appel allegedly transferred $200,000 into his bank from accounts he controlled as treasurer for a political campaign and a tennis club. He went back to BankNewport in June.
“I will be able to pull [bank] statements dates 6/18 and 6/22 for our checking account and [money market account] and they will show balances of 70k and 100k,” he wrote, according to the indictment.
It worked. By February 2025, Appel and his wife were on their second Bahamas cruise.
“Anyone here anchored off Pig Beach near Staniel?” he wrote. “How crowded is it?”
The couple didn’t post any trips this year. Appel is awaiting trial in Maryland.
Chasing Sunsets is in Fort Lauderdale, waiting for a new owner with dreams of floating luxury.
“It’s a standout choice for discerning yachtsmen ready to embark on their next journey,” the listing reads.
It’s yours for $475,000 — another piece of Maryland’s infamous history of never having enough.
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