Leopold's legal bills cost Anne Arundel more than $56K

A Greenbelt-based law firm whose senior partner is billing Anne Arundel County $450 an hour for representing County Executive John R. Leopold in a federal discrimination and retaliation case, billed taxpayers just under $5,000 in December, bringing the total cost thus far to over $56,000, the Annapolis Capital reported Monday.

Leopold was sued by his former press aide in U.S. District Court in 2010, alleging she lost her job with the county because she complained about Leopold's conduct toward her.