Sauickie: If Governor’s Annapolis Helicopter Trip Was Official Business, Where’s the Speech?  

8/17/2026

The governor’s office has defended the April 17 helicopter trip to Annapolis to celebrate 50 years of women at the U.S. Naval Academy by saying Sherrill, an alumna of the academy, was acting in her official capacity and had been asked to deliver remarks.

“I’d genuinely like to see the speech,” Sauickie (R-Ocean) said. “If this was an official gubernatorial appearance important enough to justify helicopter transportation, it is reasonable to expect some record of what the Governor said. Her office posts videos of the governor giving weather reports. Why wouldn’t an important official speech be available?”

After searching publicly available sources, Sauickie said his office was unable to locate a recording, transcript or other documentation of the remarks. So, he filed an Open Public Records Act request to obtain a copy. Last week, the governor’s office told Sauickie, “There are no government records made in the official course of business responsive to your request.”

“The Governor’s Office cannot have it both ways. It cannot justify the helicopter by calling the trip official state business and then produce no record of the official business used to justify it,” Sauickie said.

The lawmaker said the issue is one of basic accountability, as the only proof she spoke at the event appears to be posted on Maryland’s 250th website honoring the state’s contribution to America’s founding.

“Taxpayer-funded aircraft are not a personal transportation service. If the trip was official, show us the official business. If it was personal, pay the taxpayers back,” Sauickie said.

According to reports, it costs taxpayers approximately $2,500 an hour for the governor to use the State Police helicopter. On April 17, she flew from Camden to Annapolis and then flew back to Bloomfield. The round trip is estimated to take around two hours and 15 minutes.