Baltimore County Council unsure secret $100K settlement can be unsealed

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Some Baltimore County Council members say they want court records in a $100,000 taxpayer-funded settlement unsealed, while others are unsure what authority they have to act — even as legal experts say the group has the tools to push the county administration to move forward.

The dispute centers on a 2024 lawsuit involving Patrick Murray, a former top aide to then-County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. The case was sealed by a circuit court judge at the county’s request and a year later, Baltimore County agreed to pay Murray a $100,000 settlement.

The argument some council members have made, however, is that they don’t understand what options are available to make public the secret settlement.

“I’m just at a loss for what I could do when the court has said that it’s sealed,” Councilman Julian Jones, a Woodstock Democrat and county executive candidate, said during a March 16 meeting.

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