Maryland Gov. Hogan says delegate who used racial slur should step down

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan says a state delegate who admitted to using a racial slur in reference to Prince George's County should "do the right thing and step down."

The Washington Post was first to report Monday that Del. Mary Ann Lisanti allegedly used the slur late last month during a gathering with fellow legislators to refer to Prince George's County, which is majority black.

Asked about it by the newspaper earlier this month, the Post reported that she said: "I don't recall that ... I don't recall much of that evening."

Prince George's County Executive Angela Alsobrooks also said on Wednesday that Lisanti also should resign or be fired for referring to the county using the slur.

Lisanti, a 51-year-old Democrat in her second term representing Harford County, apologized to the Maryland House Democratic Caucus for her comments.

A day earlier she issued an apology to leaders of the state's Legislative Black Caucus.

Del. Darryl Barnes, the caucus chairman, described the apology as "woefully inadequate" and urged House Speaker Michael Busch, in a letter, to discipline the delegate.

Lisanti, in her statement of apology, said she was "sickened" she had used the slur, which "does not represent my belief system."