The woman who controlled Del. Luke Clippinger's campaign bank account for more than a decade has been charged with stealing over $87,000 from it, according to court documents. Melissa Ann Smith, 41, faces one count each of felony theft scheme and embezzlement, plus two counts of perjury, stemming from her time as treasurer of Friends of Luke Clippinger.
Charges Filed Same Week as Clippinger's Reelection
Smith was charged Thursday in Circuit Court for Baltimore County, according to court documents cited by The Baltimore Sun. Charging-document details reported by The Daily Record allege Smith embezzled $87,155.33 from the Friends of Luke Clippinger account between February 2018 and at least December 2025. She allegedly wrote 47 checks payable to herself and electronically deposited them into three personal bank accounts, the outlet reported.
The charges land just days after Clippinger and his two District 46 seatmates, Robbyn Lewis and Mark Edelson, won reelection Tuesday, per the same account. Clippinger, a Democrat who represents downtown, South and Southeast Baltimore and chairs the House Judiciary Committee, has also served as an assistant state's attorney in Anne Arundel County for nearly 20 years, according to court documents cited in reporting.
Sole Signatory for More Than a Decade
According to the Daily Record's reporting, Smith was the only signatory authority on the Friends of Luke Clippinger account at BayVanguard Bank from December 2013 to December 2025, a status she held for roughly twelve years. The complaint further alleges she failed to disclose the questionable transactions on the campaign finance reports she herself prepared, signed under penalty of perjury, and submitted to Maryland's State Board of Elections.
Maryland's own campaign-finance guidance makes clear that a treasurer may authorize someone else to file reports electronically, but only with the treasurer's express consent — underscoring just how central Smith's role was to the committee's compliance, according to the Maryland State Board of Elections' summary guide. Clippinger declined to comment on the open case but said he has cooperated with the prosecutor's office by providing information when requested, the Daily Record reported.
Earlier Warning Signs Surfaced in January
This isn't the first time Clippinger's campaign finances have drawn scrutiny. Reporting from January described a State Board of Elections finding that the campaign had mismanaged funds, according to the Baltimore Sun. That earlier coverage, from Maryland Matters, had identified 15 checks totaling $44,000 written to a treasurer named Melissa Evans between 2020 and 2024, and noted that Evans had held the treasurer post since 2013 before Sophia Silbergeld was listed as her replacement.
At the time, Clippinger said he would retain an accounting professional to review the treasurer's management of his campaign account, according to Maryland Matters. The connection between that January reporting and Wednesday's charges against Melissa Ann Smith was not independently clarified in available reporting.
Prosecutor Cites Public Trust in Elections
Baltimore Banner reporting, which first identified prosecutor Charlton T. Howard III as the official who filed the charges, quoted Howard saying that campaign finance committee treasurers help ensure funds support a candidate's campaign purpose, and that his office seeks to hold people accountable for abusing public trust in elections for personal financial gain. The Baltimore Banner reported that Smith could face prison time or fines of up to $15,000 if convicted, and that a voicemail left on a phone number listed to her went unreturned.
