Acting State Police Commissioner Marcus Brown

Acting State Police Commissioner Marcus Brown Feb. 19, 2015. James Robinson, PennLive.com

(James Robinson, PennLive.com)

(*This story has been updated to include comment from the Wolf administration and to clarify comments by Sen. John Gordner, R-Columbia)

In a sharply worded memo, the third-ranking Senate Republican has raised fresh questions about Gov. Tom Wolf's pick to head the Pennsylvania State Police, including his admission that the Maryland State Police engaged in an illegal search of motorists cars in 2014.

The Monday memo from Senate Majority Whip John Gordner, R-Columbia, runs through an already publicized list of concerns about acting State Police Commissioner Marcus Brown, including his decision to wear State Police uniform grays even though he never served as a state police trooper or attended the State Police Academy.

But Gordner, pointing to a March 11, 2014 incident that took place while Brown was head of the Maryland State Police added a new wrinkle to the debate.

On that date, "The Maryland State Police along with other local law enforcement agencies closed Interstate 270 stranding commuters and forcing them to remain in their cars," Gordner wrote.

"The closure was an unusually large show of force while officers were searching for bank robbers," he continued. "Police officers went from car to car, some carrying assault rifles, shouting commands to 'stay in your car,' 'pop the trunk,' 'get your hands on the steering wheel' and 'Get your hands up where we can see them.'

"Col. Brown was the Superintendent of the Maryland State Police at the time of this incident and subsequently admitted that such searches were most likely illegal," Gordner wrote.

Jennifer Kocher, a spokeswoman for Senate Republicans, said Brown acknowledged the search was likely illegal during his confirmation interview with Gordner and his chief of staff, Todd Roup.

In a separate interview, Roup corroborated Gordner's account of the conversation.

Wolf administration spokesman Jeffrey Sheridan said that while Brown confirmed he and Gordner had discussed the search, Brown denied ever telling Gordner that it was illegal.

Sheridan added that Brown was not present for the search and stressed that the the Maryland State Police, while participants, were assisting in the search, but were not the lead agency.

Gordner's account of the search by local police was confirmed by Washington D.C.-area news reports, revealing that police completely shut down the highway for 30 minutes as officers hunted for three men suspected of robbing a local bank.

According to WTOP-Radio, three men were later charged in connection with the search.

While police faced questions over their search tactics, they stood by their approach:

"Montgomery County police spokeswoman Officer Janelle Smith wouldn't say why the road was closed and the car-to-car search performed, only saying that "investigative measures helped police track the robbers' movements," WTOP-Radio reported. " But police Chief Tom Manger defended the tactics used to arrest the men.

'Our community is certainly a much safer place with those guys behind bars,'" Manger says."

Senate Republicans, who have oversight of Brown's appointment, have called on Wolf to withdraw his nomination.

On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-Centre, said it was a "distinct possibility" that the chamber could vote to reject Brown.

And on Monday, the union that represents state troopers also called on Wolf to withdraw Brown's nomination.

The administration said again Tuesday that it's not withdrawing Brown's nomination.

Here's video of the search:

And here's the full text of Gordner's memo: