Michael Peroutka

Michael Peroutka
Chairman of the Anne Arundel County Council
In office
December 4, 2017 – December 1, 2018
Preceded byJohn Grasso
Succeeded byAndrew Pruski
Member of the Anne Arundel County Council
from the 5th district
In office
December 1, 2014 – December 1, 2018
Preceded byDick Ladd
Succeeded byAmanda Fielder
Personal details
Born
Michael Anthony Peroutka

1952 (age 71–72)
Political partyRepublican (2014–present)
Other political
affiliations		Constitution (before 2014)
EducationLoyola University, Maryland (BA)
University of Baltimore (JD)

Michael Anthony Peroutka (born 1952) is an American far-right politician, lawyer, and neo-Confederate activist[1][2] from Maryland. He was the Republican nominee for Attorney General of Maryland in 2022, and was the Constitution Party candidate for president in 2004.

Peroutka is a former member of the League of the South, a white supremacist and white nationalist organization designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group.[2][3] Peroutka is known for his pro-secessionist views, and has said that he is "still angry" that Maryland did not join the Confederacy in the Civil War. Peroutka has voiced support for disproven conspiracy theories about the September 11 terrorist attacks, falsely claiming that the attacks were an "inside job" accomplished using explosives.[4]

Peroutka attended Loyola University Maryland and the University of Baltimore School of Law. He was the chairman of the Constitution Party of Maryland and a member of the executive committee of the Constitution Party National Committee. In 2014, he became a Republican and won election to the County Council of Anne Arundel County, Maryland, representing District 5.[5]

He is of Czech descent.[6]

  1. ^ Derysh, Igor (July 20, 2022). "Maryland GOP nominates "QAnon whackjob" for governor — but he's not even the most extreme winner". Salon. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  2. ^ a b Mathias, Christopher (July 20, 2022). "Former Member Of Neo-Confederate Group Wins GOP Race For Maryland Attorney General". HuffPost. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  3. ^ "League of the South". Southern Poverty Law Center. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
  4. ^ Steck, Em; Kaczynski, Andrew (July 31, 2022). "Republican nominee for Maryland attorney general hosted 9/11 conspiracy radio shows". CNN. Retrieved July 31, 2022.
  5. ^ Prudente, Tim (November 5, 2014). "Controversial candidate Michael Peroutka wins Anne Arundel council seat". The Capital. Annapolis, Maryland. Archived from the original on May 29, 2015. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
  6. ^ Pitts, Jonathan M. (March 21, 2010). "Getting back to the country's founders". The Baltimore Sun. p. G1. ProQuest 406255314. Archived from the original on February 24, 2024. Retrieved May 9, 2019.