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PB me arene ements tenet an ee FER Fe a LT NE RT AA TE RS ES aA ARTS RT A LNT NE TRA SE CI AE TRE RE RARE eT tnt RLY AIR en Perf om RAEN Mi lr me ae Te A i tt rma. AW tyre AAI RAR aA A tw ~14- 2) Both Governor Agnew and Hammerman would from time to time ask Wolff to give special consideration to a particular engineering firm, which might or might not be making cash payments, and he would then try to do so. He remembers, for example, that the Governor on one or more occasions asked him to give work to two specific engineering firms. Hammerman also recommended to Wolff presumably because of Hammerman's © friendship with one or more particular engineers, that work be given to at least one company that, according to Wolff's understanding, had not made any cash payments, 3) Wolff's decision-making (and he recalls that this was a ' matter that he discussed with Hammerman in particular) was intended to avoid substantial and noticeable deviations from general fairness~-that is, he tried to avoid a. situation in which any firm received more or less work than could be justified on a purely legitimate basis. Wolff always viewed the process as one of accomplishing competent public work for the State of Maryland, very similar to that which would have been accomplished if all the selections had been made strictly on their merits, while at the same time serving the mutual ends of Mr. Agnew, _ 5 Hammerman, and himself. Wolff believed it was important not to deviate too obviously from the appearance of fairness and even-handedness in his selections of engineers. For example, he became aware-~he believes initially as a result of a conversation he had with Governor Agnew--that Hammerman had apparently approached a certain engineer to solicit cash payments in connection with potential state work, and that the engineer had complained to Governor Agnew that state contracts should not be awarded on this basis. The Governor was very upset, as Wolff understood it, because sos ee eee ee ee ee ey taney got eee ne ee ene ne en ee a ee ee