Mayer said that under the law, the commission is an independent body and it would be illegal for the governor or members of his administration to try to influence it. He said Hogan rejected Miller's repeated requests throughout the session to intervene. The spokesman suggested the Senate president's efforts could amount to a violation of the General Assembly's ethics code dealing with attempts to influence quasi-judicial proceedings. He also pointed to a provision of Maryland law putting the health care commission's decisions outside the health secretary's authority.