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Still, there seems no special reason to doubt the most obvious motive behind the investigation: Beall became convinced that big Maryland building projects, which had been controlled by Democrats for several years, were riddled with corruption. Thus, in early January, he issued a set of sweeping subpoenas demanding several tons of county records, and later announced to a grand jury the opening of a probe into "contract-purchase irregularities." As the investigation widened, it was apparent that major state political figures were involved. Among them:
> William E. Fornoff, 56, the blustery, barrel-chested former administrative officer of Baltimore County, a post he held under both Agnew and his Democratic successor as county executive, Dale Anderson. In June, Fornoff pleaded guilty to a charge of "impeding the enforcement" of federal tax laws, admitting that he frequently delivered quantities of cash to "a public official." In a strategy similar to that of Judge Sirica after the Watergate trial, Federal Judge Alexander Harvey II has delayed sentencing Fornoff, presumably so that he will cooperate fully with Beall in the investigation.
> Dale Anderson, 56, whose relationships with contractors are under intense inquiry by Beall. He has denied that he was the unnamed "public official" cited by Fornoff.
> Jerome Wolff, 55, president of Greiner Environmental Systems, Inc., an affiliate of J.E. Greiner Co. Inc., one of Maryland's biggest construction consulting firms. Wolff was named chairman of the Maryland roads commission by Agnew in 1966 and later (1969-70) went to Washington as an assistant to the Vice President on scientific matters.
> Harry W. Rodgers III, a prominent Maryland land developer and longtime political fund raiser. Described by associates as "everybody's pal," Rodgers supported the Democratic candidate for President in 1964 and 1968, then joined Democrats for Nixon last year. TIME has learned that the Justice Department considered prosecuting him for a possibly illegal campaign contribution in 1972. Rodgers promptly made these difficulties known to the White House, where W. Richard Howard, an assistant to then Presidential Counsel Charles W. Colson, fired off a memo to John Dean asking him to go to bat for Rodgers at the Justice Department. Rodgers was never prosecuted. He is currently recuperating from a heart attack at Southwind, his estate on Maryland's Eastern Shore, but expects to be subpoenaed in the Agnew investigation soon.
> I.H. ("Bud") Hammerman II, head of a large Baltimore mortgage banking and real estate organization and a longtime supporter of both Agnew and Nixon.
> Lester Matz, 49, partner in Matz, Childs and Associates, another Maryland construction consulting firm, and a contributor to Agnew's campaigns.