ANNAPOLIS — A prominent Republican financial consultant who has served as treasurer for political committees and legislators on the Eastern Shore is facing federal charges of wire fraud and money laundering.
James Appel, 58, of Annapolis, is accused of stealing about $100,000 each from a Maryland politician and a community organization. He faces three counts each of wire fraud and money laundering.
Appel pleaded not guilty in U.S. District Court on Monday, March 30.
Appel is listed as a treasurer on the Talbot County Republican Central Committee website as well as on campaign advertisements for Sen. Steve Hershey and Del. Jeff Ghrist, Republicans representing Caroline, Cecil, Kent and Queen Anne’s counties.
transactions also show Appel’s firm, GOP Compliance, received payments from the Caroline County Republican Central Committee. However, the Caroline GOP committee website does not list Appel as its current treasurer.
None of the Eastern Shore political committees or lawmakers Appel worked for are named in the indictment as potential victims of the alleged embezzlement scheme.
In a statement, Talbot County Republican Central Committee Chair Shari Wilcoxon said a review of all of the transactions Appel was involved in “found no irregularities in the bookkeeping practices nor in reporting under†his direction.
“We are saddened to learn of the allegations against James Appel,†Wilcoxon wrote. During the relatively brief time Mr. Appel has worked with the Talbot County Republican Central Committee, he has been an asset helping us understand the rules and regulations of financial reporting for political organizations.â€
Wilcoxon said the committee believes in “the presumption of innocence and the right to due process†and will discuss the matter at its next meeting.
Requests for comment to the Caroline GOP committee, Ghrist and a Hershey representative were not returned as of Friday afternoon.
The allegations
According to the 10-page federal indictment, Appel moved around $100,000 out of a politician’s account and into his own accounts in May 2024.
Later that year, he stole $100,000 from the bank account of an unnamed community organization in Anne Arundel County, the indictment alleges.
Prosecutors say those funds were used by Appel for a loan refinancing application on his yacht.
The election official isn’t named in the indictment, instead referred to as “Politician 1.†After the indictment was unsealed March 30, Del. Kathy Szeliga (R-Baltimore County) told the state news outlet she is the unnamed politician.
“As a trusted professional, political, and commercial treasurer, James Appel exploited that trust and stole from the very people he was hired to serve,†Szeliga said in her statement to Maryland Matters. “It’s a betrayal beyond words.â€
Appel was released March 30 under a number of conditions, including a requirement to notify any entities or individuals he worked with as a treasurer or political consultant of the pending charges.
Appel faces a maximum of 20 years for each wire fraud count and up to 10 years for each money laundering count, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
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