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Prince George鈥檚 County Executive Aisha Braveboy says she has the utmost confidence in her nominee to run the county鈥檚 Department of the Environment, even though he was terminated from the department in 2014 for 鈥済ross negligence.鈥�

A group of environmental and community activists in the county is not so sure. And they鈥檙e likely to be on hand Thursday when Samuel Belsham Moki鈥檚 nomination comes up before a County Council committee.

鈥淚 was just flabbergasted that someone who had caused such a grievance against the county on environmental issues would now be tapped to lead the Department of Environment,鈥� said Carlo Sanchez, a lifelong county resident who represented the county鈥檚 47th District in the Maryland House of Delegates聽from 2015 to 2018. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just astounding, really.鈥�

Sanchez said he is part of a loose group of environmental and community advocates who have coalesced in opposition to Moki鈥檚 nomination, have been reaching out to council members and who plan to speak out at public meetings.

The first opportunity聽is Thursday, when the council鈥檚 Transportation, Infrastructure, Energy and Environment Committee takes up Moki鈥檚 nomination. The five-member committee can issue a favorable or unfavorable recommendation on Moki鈥檚 appointment to the entire 11-member council, or it could vote to issue no recommendation at all.

Moki has been serving as acting director of the department since late June, when he was nominated by Braveboy.

It was later revealed that Moki had been聽terminated from the agency and mismanagement of the county鈥檚 stormwater program. Stormwater violations accrued during Moki鈥檚 tenure cost the county thousands of dollars in fines.

Moki argued at the time that he had insufficient funds to handle the county鈥檚 obligation to control runoff, according to records from the county personnel board. But it found he had consistent access to a dedicated fund with tens of millions of dollars for stormwater management.

鈥淭he dishonesty about the budget was a significant violation of his employment by itself,鈥� read the personnel board decision, signed by then-chair Carolyn F. Scriber. 鈥淗is conduct calls into serious question the appellant鈥檚 trustworthiness and integrity.鈥�

Moki challenged his termination before both the personnel board and in circuit court. Both bodies upheld his firing as justified, agreeing that he failed to manage the county鈥檚 compliance with Environmental Protection Agency mandates.

Since the firing was revealed, Braveboy has come out in full-throated support of her nominee. When asked for comment this week about the upcoming hearing, aides to the executive said she had nothing to add to her previous statements.

In an August news release, in response to questions from Maryland Matters, Braveboy passionately defended Moki鈥檚 aptitude for the post, arguing that his 鈥渞ecord, credentials, and vision for the future of our environment speak louder than his past circumstances.鈥�

Braveboy argued that Moki, who started with the county while Jack Johnson was executive, was terminated after a change in administration. Rushern Baker, who was elected in 2010, was reelected in 2014, the year Moki was fired.

She also said that during Moki鈥檚 tenure, the county was caught up in a period of 鈥渋ntensifying enforcement鈥� of stormwater rules by the Environmental Protection Agency.

But advocates are not convinced, and are concerned that Moki鈥檚 appointment comes at a particularly delicate time for environmental policy in the county, as officials weigh rules for data center development in the county.

Tolson Banner, executive director of the Prince George鈥檚 Community Development Corp., a nonprofit focused on development issues, said it will be partially be the job of the county environmental agency to protect residents from noise pollution, air emissions 鈥� and the impacts of a data center鈥檚 significant water and power demands.

鈥淎re we to believe that Samuel Moki will be able to do that, given the fact that he was fired for gross negligence? Are we to believe that?鈥� asked Banner, a county resident for more than 20 years. 鈥淚 doubt it very seriously. And these are the kinds of things that erode the public trust.鈥�

鈥淥nce I found out about the history with his previous employment, it was like, 鈥榃hy are we going to bring someone back that鈥檚 done us kind of dirty?鈥欌�� she asked. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think that he鈥檚 the right choice.鈥�

Braveboy on Sept. 12 placing a 鈥渢emporary hold on accepting, considering, and processing permit applications鈥� for data centers, while the county waits for research and recommendations that are due Nov. 30 from its Qualified Data Centers Task Force. Braveboy鈥檚 executive order expires on Dec. 31, 2025.

Braveboy told 海角社区app 海角社区app that she supports data centers, but believes the county should pump the brakes because of resident concerns about their locations.

鈥淚鈥檓 in support generally of data centers,鈥� Braveboy said. 鈥淚 do believe it鈥檚 a really good economic tool in the right locations.鈥�

Staci Hartwell, a strategic adviser for the South County Environmental Justice Coalition, sits on the data center task force and worries that the pause is 鈥減erformative,鈥� and the county will end up green-lighting data center development regardless.

She said Moki鈥檚 appointment leaves her feeling worried for the future.

鈥淚t鈥檚 bad enough that they鈥檙e trying to take these data centers and ram them down our throats,鈥� Hartwell said. 鈥淏ut then you鈥檙e going to put in place someone who has demonstrated that they鈥檙e not trustworthy?鈥�

Banner said he鈥檚 concerned that the end result could be that county residents are disproportionately the victims of data center impacts, continuing a history of environmental racism in the majority-Black county.

鈥淲e know the history of environmental racism in this county, and in this nation. And we鈥檙e to believe that Moki is the best person suited to guard our interests?鈥� Banner asked.

Hartwell warned that appointing and confirming a candidate like Moki has the potential to send 鈥渟hock waves through every corner鈥� of the county agency.

鈥淚t tells staff people, it tells partners, it tells the broader community that accountability is optional, and that serious past failures can be rewarded with a promotion, instead of caution,鈥� Hartwell said.

In a letter to the council, Braveboy wrote that Moki is 鈥渁 distinguished public servant and policy expert with over two decades of leadership experience in environmental management, intergovernmental affairs, and academic instruction.鈥�

She added that, in his prior tenure as associate director at the department, Moki 鈥渉elped secure and manage鈥� over $10 million in federal and state environmental grants, and 鈥減reviously led major environmental programs and capital projects aimed at enhancing water quality, sustainability, and flood mitigation throughout the County.鈥�

Her letter, addressed to Council Chair Edward P. Burroughs III, did not reference Moki鈥檚 termination.

Hartwell added that the nomination is particularly upsetting given that a number of qualified federal workers may be entering the job market as President Donald Trump (R) slashes the federal bureaucracy, including the Environmental Protection Agency.

鈥淎ll of these brilliant 鈥� these stellar, great minds have been let go of the EPA. Some of them are residents here in Prince George鈥檚 County,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hese are really reputable, credible people. Why are we not 鈥� looking at those people for candidates for this position?鈥�

Local advocates say they鈥檙e still scratching their heads over the nomination 鈥� though they鈥檙e preparing to put up a fight.

鈥淚t just doesn鈥檛 add up. I don鈥檛 care what kind of math you鈥檙e using,鈥� Banner said.

鈥淚 understand politics, but there鈥檚 some political decisions you should not gamble with,鈥� he said. 鈥淲ith some political decisions you have to say, 鈥楴o.鈥欌��