First Baltimore County OIG report in 7 months fuels concerns over watchdog’s future

BALTIMORE (WBFF) — For the first time in about seven months, Baltimore County’s watchdog has released a public investigative report finding a county employee was apparently preselected for a promotion and that official paperwork falsely documented an interview that never happened.

The one-page report from the Baltimore County Office of Inspector General detailed an investigation into the hiring of an employee for a newly created executive administrative position within the Department of Permits, Approvals and Inspections, PAI.

The OIG found the employee met the qualifications for the position but was promoted in summer 2025 without a formal interview. Evidence indicated the employee had been preselected by PAI management, according to the report. The position’s supervisor was also excluded from key parts of the hiring process, including interviewing candidates and completing an Interview Summary Form.

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Investigators found that form, submitted to the Office of Human Resources, contained false information. It stated the employee had been interviewed by a PAI executive manager and supervisor and listed an interview time when the employee was not in the office.

The report also found another candidate was incorrectly deemed unqualified because of the employee’s probationary status. The OIG said probationary employees can be considered for promotion and that the candidate should have been interviewed.

The report marks a significant moment for an OIG that has gone months without publicly releasing an investigative report and currently has no permanent inspector general after Kelly Madigan resigned in January.

David Williams, president of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, said the circumstances surrounding the office should concern county residents.

“It’s frustrating what we’re seeing in Baltimore County,” Williams said. “Now there seems to be a little bit of chaos inside the office as to who can release reports, what kind of reports. This is bad for transparency.”

The latest investigation was handled as an Executive Management Referral, or EMR. The OIG describes EMRs as investigations initiated when the office identifies an operational weakness, policy violation or management concern requiring attention. This referral was submitted to the administration May 11.

The OIG is now changing how it handles those referrals, publicly releasing summaries while keeping the full referrals confidential. Williams said even the brief report raises larger questions.

“This one-page report is a window into what could be happening on a larger scale within the county,” Williams said. “That’s why the county executive and city council members need to be more responsive and more transparent about this.”

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The administration has directed county officials to provide mandatory hiring training for relevant PAI staff and managers, review the Personnel Manual and develop an internal FAQ on hiring and promotion procedures by the end of October.

FOX45 News sent County Executive Kathy Klausmeier’s office several questions about the findings, including who was responsible for preselecting the employee; who was responsible for the false information on the interview form, whether anyone else knew or approved it, why the supervisor was excluded from the hiring process, and whether the administration believes its proposed corrective actions go far enough.

A spokesperson for County executive Klausmeier did not directly answer the questions.

“This matter has been addressed internally,” said Dakarai Turner. “Because this involves a personnel matter, we are unable to provide additional information.”

The OIG says it will monitor the administration’s progress.

Williams, meanwhile, said the uncertainty surrounding the watchdog’s leadership makes its future independence especially important.

“Taxpayers should be very concerned about the future of the Inspector General Office in Baltimore County,” Williams said.

Follow Political Reporter Mikenzie Frost on X and Facebook. Send tips to mbfrost@sbgtv.com.