ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Editor's Note: The video above aired on WUSA9 in January 2021.
A perennial candidate seeking the Republican nomination for governor in Maryland has been disbarred from practicing law in Maryland by a state court following a complaint by the Attorney Grievance Commission.
The Maryland Court of Appeals said in its ruling Thursday that Robin Ficker has been the subject of a long history of complaints of professional misconduct that expand over three generations of the bar counsel.
Ficker has had many unsuccessful runs for various state and local offices in Maryland, sometimes running as an Independent, other times running as a Republican. He served one term in the Maryland House of Delegates in 1978. Since then, he's become a famous sports heckler and known locally for his efforts at getting different ballot questions approved.
In the November 2020 election, Ficker gathered enough signatures to get a question he wrote approved for the Montgomery County ballot aiming to put a cap on property tax revenue. The measure did not pass.
He also caused controversy during the COVID closures by hosting a maskless USA-themed indoor party at a Clarksburg restaurant on Jan. 5, 2021. At the time, there was a ban on indoor dining in Montgomery County.
In an email to the Washington Post Saturday, Ficker said the court ruling was "a political decision by recent political appointees. … My clients love me. It is judges and lawyers complaining."
According to the court ruling, the disbarment stems from a case in which Ficker failed to appear for trial and made other mistakes. Ficker said the case, which occurred three years ago, involved a person accused of driving without a license who he represented for free but didn't show up for a court date.
The 39-page ruling also said Ficker has been disciplined for professional misconduct eight times dating back to 1990.
Ficker is competing against former Maryland commerce secretary Kelly Schulz and Del. Daniel Cox, who is endorsed by former President Donald Trump for the Republican nomination.
The Maryland primary is June 28.