Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) acknowledged rumors Tuesday about his involvement in the future of Maryland football coach Ralph Friedgen but told reporters that neither he nor his staff have intervened.

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"I leave to the university to manage its sports and most everything else that goes with the university," O'Malley said following an unrelated event in Annapolis. "I haven't gotten into this at all. I really haven't."

O'Malley said that he "would hope they would not use public funds to buy out the contract," but he declined to elaborate on what exactly would fall under the definition of "public funds."
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