ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Maryland House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk sent a letter to Delegates Brian Chisholm and Mark Fisher regarding comments the delegates made on their podcast about another member of the House.
In the podcast, which was still on their social media at the time this story was posted, the two delegates insinuate that Delegate Chao Wu is a "Chinese spy."
They use a bill Wu introduced in 2025 requiring disclosure of how companies train AI as the reasoning for their accusation.
Speaker Peña-Melnyk said, "What was said is offensive, unacceptable, and beneath the dignity of this institution."
The speaker called for Chisholm and Fisher to remove the podcast and apologize to Wu.
"We can have disagreements about policy without demeaning one another's humanity. That is the standard this House must uphold," Peña-Melnyk said.
The Freedom Caucus responded with a letter addressing a number of other topics they believe the speaker should focus on rather than their comments on the podcast, declining to apologize in the letter.
"As a data scientist, Delegate Chao Wu is an asset to our legislative work. One can debate the merit of a bill without resorting to racist name-calling and unfounded accusations," said Delegate Lily Qi, chair of the Maryland AAPI Caucus.
The Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland called the comments racist and xenophobic, saying, "Rhetoric that seeks to demean, otherize, or question the legitimacy of an elected official based on race, ethnicity, ancestry, or the way they speak is unacceptable and dangerous."
