Maryland oversight debate grows as watchdogs clash with political leaders

MARYLAND (WBFF) — Across Maryland, inspectors general are tasked with rooting out government waste, fraud and abuse. But their ability to do that job may depend on whether they can operate without political pressure.

Recent disputes in Baltimore City and Baltimore County have prompted debate about how independent those watchdog offices are and whether government officials should have power to influence or remove the very investigators tasked with scrutinizing them.

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The issue has taken on renewed urgency as Baltimore’s inspector general battles City Hall in court over access to records, while a Baltimore County watchdog stepped down after raising concerns about restrictions on her office. The conflicts come amid a broader debate about oversight in Maryland, where Gov. Wes Moore has said a statewide inspector general is not needed.

In Baltimore County, the inspector general reports to both the county executive and the county council. Former Inspector General Kelly Madigan announced her resignation in December, citing that the tools and support required to safeguard integrity in the county government being restricted as a reason for the move.

In her resignation letter, Madigan stated she accepted the position of inspector general for Howard County.

That came after county executive Kathy Klausmeier declined to renew the contract of Madigan and said that Madigan could apply for the position.

In Baltimore City, current Inspector General Isabel Cumming said the city provides a clear example of why independence matters. She is the first person in the role to operate independently.

“I’m actually the fifth inspector general in the city, but I’m the first independent one,” Cumming said. “Of my prior inspectors general, three out of the four were terminated by mayors for different reasons including investigations.”

Cumming said her office identified $11 million in waste, fraud and abuse last year.

In the past, the inspector general’s office reported directly to the mayor, meaning the mayor could dismiss the inspector general at any time.

Cumming now reports to an advisory board instead. Still, tensions remain between the office and City Hall.

Cumming is currently suing Baltimore City, saying her office was blocked from accessing certain records needed for investigations. The legal dispute comes as her office continues to examine spending and operations across city government.

One of her office’s most recent investigations found the mayor’s office spent more than $52,000 on food at Baltimore Orioles and Baltimore Ravens games. Those findings are part of a report that identified roughly $800,000 in procurement card purchases and Workday expenditures for meals, catering, floral arrangements and other expenses.

Former Baltimore Inspector General David McClintock said the structure of the job used to create a fundamental vulnerability.

McClintock served for about three years as inspector general under then-Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake before leaving in 2013 to work in Louisiana for an independent inspector general’s office.

Although he said his working relationship with the mayor was positive, the lack of independence was a weakness.

“Although we had a very professional and positive working relationship between the mayor’s office and the inspector general’s office, what we did not have was structural independence,” McClintock said. “When one is asked to look for fraud, waste and abuse in government and one can be fired with a signature, that is something you tend to pay attention to.”

The debate over independent oversight extends beyond Baltimore.

At the state level, Moore has said he does not believe Maryland needs a statewide inspector general.

The governor has argued Maryland already has oversight mechanisms in place, including the state’s Office of Legislative Audits and positions within the executive branch such as the chief performance officer, Asma Mirza.

Moore’s communications team has clarified that Mirza does not conduct independent financial audits but instead works to resolve findings identified by other auditors.

Spotlight on Maryland is a collaboration between FOX45 News, WJLA in Washington, D.C., and The Baltimore Sun. Have a story tip? Email spotlightonmaryland@sbgtv.com or call 410-467-4670. Investigative reporter Tessa Bentulan can be reached at tbentulan@sbgtv.com.