Top-ranking state official accused of sending nude photos to sheriff's deputy... but now claims SHE'S the victim

A county executive in Maryland denied the existence of nude photographs of herself that were allegedly sent to a sheriff's deputy, but a letter she wrote that was recently made public contradicts her claim.

Wicomico County Executive Julie Giordano gave a fiery press conference on Wednesday morning, during which she attempted to put to rest a years-old local sex scandal involving herself and the Wicomico Sheriff's Office. 

'These allegations are false,' Giordano said. 'The alleged photographs have never been produced because they do not exist. And as county executive, I have never sent inappropriate photographs to a deputy or to anybody else.' 

But later that same day, Spotlight on Maryland obtained a copy of a letter penned by Giordano in which she appeared to admit that the photos did exist and requested that an investigation into 'alleged sharing of pornographic images of me' be conducted.

The letter, which was obtained through a public records request, was dated September 12, 2024, and written on official county letterhead. It was addressed to Wicomico County Sheriff Mike Lewis. 

'I am writing to formally request an investigation into the alleged sharing of pornographic images of me by one of your deputies,' the county executive wrote.

'It is deeply concerning that a deputy would share such a photo, and even more troubling that you have acknowledged possessing such an image.' 

Giordano accused a deputy of sharing the nude photos as a form of 'revenge porn' and said that Sheriff Lewis told another local official that under state law, revenge porn only applies if the involved parties were in an intimate relationship.

'Your interpretation of Maryland's revenge porn statute is incorrect,' the county executive's letter continued. 

'No member of the Wicomico County Sheriff's Office or any other law enforcement agency has permission to possess any visual representation of myself with my intimate parts exposed or whole engaged in an act of sexual activity.'

She then wrote bluntly: 'I have never consented to the creation of any visual representation of myself with my intimate parts exposed or while engaged in an act of sexual activity. 

'I have never provided anyone consent to distribute any visual representation of me with my intimate parts exposed or while engaged in an act of sexual activity.'

Giordano went on to say that if a deputy did share a nude photo of her, that constituted a 'criminal act.' 

She demanded that an outside investigation be conducted, as the sheriff's office was 'conflicted,' and that the deputy be criminally charged. 'My personal attorney and I look forward to an update on the situation,' Giordano wrote. 

In an October 4 response written by Lewis, which was also obtained through Spotlight on Maryland's public records request, the sheriff gave a sharp rebuke to the county executive's accusations and demands. 

'Since we last discussed your sharing of "nude selfies" to one of my deputies, neither you nor anyone else requested an investigation be initiated into the possible dissemination of these "pornographic" photos,' Lewis wrote. 

'Photos, of course, that any viewer could quickly discern were self-generated, self-created, and ultimately self-distributed.'

The sheriff quoted the part of Giordano's letter in which she said she 'never consented' to the creation or distribution of nude photos of herself, then wrote: 'Perhaps, you should have thought about that before you sent those selfies from your phone.'

Lewis further stated that he was never sent the photos and that he only saw them when a deputy went into his office, closed the door and showed them to him.

'While standing next to my desk, the deputy proceeded to scroll through multiple nude selfies of you, clearly taken by you, now being shockingly displayed on my deputy's cellphone,' the sheriff wrote. 

'I've never been in possession of these self-created pornographic images. But, one can only wonder how many others have seen or been forwarded (perhaps by you) these same photos,' he continued. 

Lewis went on to say that he was 'more than willing' to request an investigation by Maryland State Police or the Office of the State Prosecutor, which would likely lead to a seizure of her personal and government phones by investigators. 

'Of course, once the investigation is concluded, you will no longer be able to deny to your own administration or to the citizens of Wicomico County that these photos not only exists, but so do your text messages, phone logs, and other video evidence,' the sheriff wrote. 

'As the Sheriff of Wicomico County, I'm deeply hurt and embarrassed that a fellow elected official would bring such disrepute onto a county where I was born and raised. Our citizens deserve better,' he continued. 

Matching the tone of the letter Giordano sent him, Lewis concluded his letter by saying: 'My personal attorney and I look forward to a written response from you outlining what investigative measures you would like for me to take.'

It appears that the sheriff's letter deterred Giordano from continuing to request an investigation, as Wicomico County attorney Andrew Illuminati told Spotlight on Maryland that none was ever conducted.

The private letters sent between the sheriff and the county executive, who are both up for reelection this year, were previously withheld from being released. 

Illuminati had told the outlet that releasing the letters would have amounted to an 'unwarranted invasion of personal privacy' and that they were part of an 'investigatory' record. 

The Wicomico County Attorney's Office only reversed its decision after Giordano's press conference denying the existence of the nude photographs. 

Because the county executive made her denial public and directly addressed the press with her claim, the records became a matter of public interest, thus warranting their release, the attorney's office said.