The Frederick County Republican Central Committee has asked Maryland election officials to investigate whether a Super PAC backing County Executive Jessica Fitzwater coordinated with her reelection campaign. At the center of the request is Sophia Silbergeld, who is listed as treasurer of the PAC, United Frederick, and also serves as president of the political consulting firm Adeo.
According to FOX45, the Fitzwater campaign reported paying Adeo $5,000 on November 19, 2025, for what it listed as fundraiser event staffing. A separate filing cited by Yahoo News describes that same $5,000 differently, listing it as a reimbursement to campaign treasurer Paul Fulcher for an expense he paid to Adeo as a vendor. The two accounts of the payment do not match, and neither source resolves which version is accurate.
The Fitzwater campaign has pushed back on any suggestion of improper coordination. Per the station's report, the campaign said Adeo managed a standalone event in fall 2025, before United Frederick existed, and that it has not worked with the firm since. The campaign added that it does not coordinate or communicate with PACs such as United Frederick.
Who Is Pushing the Complaint
Justin Wages, chairman of the Frederick County Republican Central Committee, filed the complaint. He submitted it through the Maryland State Board of Elections' online form on Monday and received only an automated confirmation in response, the same account notes. As of his interview with FOX45, Wages said he had not received a substantive response or any timeline for an investigation.
Wages told FOX45 the complaint was prompted by United Frederick's ad spending against Republican candidate Jeff Holtzinger and by Adeo's connection to the Fitzwater campaign. He also argued that Adeo should not have had dealings with the campaign within 18 months of making an independent expenditure, since it had served as a campaign vendor. He said the PAC's out-of-county funding concerns him, while acknowledging the contributions themselves are not illegal.
Where United Frederick's Money Comes From
The Maryland State Board of Elections approved United Frederick's statement of organization on August 27, per the same FOX45 account. The PAC has reported raising $550,000 from three contributors: $250,000 from the Maryland State Education Association's Fund for Children and Public Education PAC, $200,000 from Total Food and Wine Supply Inc., and $100,000 from AFSCME. Total Food and Wine Supply is co-owned by former U.S. Representative David Trone, though the PAC's filing lists the company itself, not Trone personally, as the donor.
United Frederick has reported $301,158.37 in independent expenditures opposing Holtzinger through October 18, with an additional $85,617.55 in other expenditures, according to the station's report. Yahoo News, drawing on the same finance filing, described the spending slightly differently — $301,158 on campaign materials and $85,618 on administrative costs — though both figures point to the same roughly $387,000 total. By comparison, Yahoo reported that Holtzinger's own campaign has raised $45,566 and spent $38,634, while Fitzwater's campaign has raised $771,898 and spent $582,347 over the past four years.
Data Centers Loom Over the Race
Wages said data centers are probably the number one issue in the Frederick County executive race, per FOX45. Fitzwater has proposed a $110 million community benefits agreement tied to data center development, a plan Wages criticized, saying she shifted her position only after public backlash. Separately, data center developers have alleged in a lawsuit that Fitzwater froze applications for political reasons — an allegation the same report notes is distinct from the campaign-finance complaint now before state regulators.
What Maryland Law Requires
Under state guidance from the Maryland State Board of Elections, independent-expenditure reports must include a detailed accounting of every expenditure, identify the candidate or ballot issue involved, state whether the spending supports or opposes that candidate, and disclose donors whose cumulative contributions reach $6,000 or more during the reporting period. Maryland's election statute, as published by the Maryland General Assembly, also defines a vendor for a political committee as a person for purposes of independent-expenditure rules.
No determination has been made on whether United Frederick and the Fitzwater campaign coordinated or whether any election law was violated. The complaint has been filed and the campaign has denied wrongdoing, but the state has not issued a finding, and there is no confirmation yet that a formal investigation has even been opened.
