Businessman Altimont Mark Wilks, who won two lawsuits against the federal government after he was denied access to federal programs because of his prior criminal history, became the 12th Democrat to join the race for Maryland's open 6th District. Wilks and his many rivals are competing to succeed Democratic Rep. Dave Trone, who is running for the Senate.
Wilks, explains The Frederick News-Post, was released from prison in 2018 after serving a 13-year sentence for drug and firearm-related crimes. He went on to open a convenience store, and in 2020 he sought loans from the Paycheck Protection Program, the pandemic-era government program designed to help keep businesses afloat.
The Small Business Administration initially refused to allow him to participate in the program because of his conviction, but a judge sided with him. Wilks, though, wasn't entirely happy with the result. "I felt elated, but at the same time, it didn't change much," he said. "It just changed the rules, which means they can change the rules again."
Wilks faced similar obstacles last year when the U.S. Department of Agriculture permanently denied his application to become a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program retailer because of his background. Wilks once again sued, telling WYPR, "I'm being discriminated against, because I made bad choices in life. But I served my time." The USDA ultimately settled by allowing Wilks to become a SNAP retailer and agreeing to rework its rules.
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