Mayor's legislation deals with IG battle over record access

Added: 2026-05-17

[00:00:01]WANT TO DO HERE?

[00:00:04]WELL, ONE BIG THING THE MAYOR IS CALLING FOR CHANGE TO STATE LAW THAT WOULD EXEMPT THE INSPECTOR GENERAL FROM THE MARYLAND PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT.

[00:00:13]SO THIS WOULD EFFECTIVELY GIVE HER ACCESS TO UNREDACTED RECORDS THAT SHE SAYS SHE NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO INVESTIGATE THE CITY.

[00:00:21]THAT’S JUST ONE OF SEVERAL STEPS THE MAYOR LAID OUT HERE AT CITY HALL TODAY.

[00:00:27]OUR OVERSIGHT SYSTEM IS NOT A POLITICAL FOOTBALL, BUT ITS CURRENT STRUCTURE HAS ALLOWED IT TO BECOME ONE.

[00:00:34]MAYOR BRANDON SCOTT IS REFERRING TO HIS ONGOING LEGAL BATTLE WITH BALTIMORE CITY INSPECTOR GENERAL ISOBEL COMING.

[00:00:41]CUMMING IS SUING THE MAYOR’S OFFICE, CLAIMING CITY HALL IS OBSTRUCTING HER INVESTIGATION INTO THE MAYOR’S OFFICE OF NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY AND ENGAGEMENT, TAKING MONTHS TO PROVIDE REQUESTED RECORDS AND REDACTING THEM.

[00:00:54]IN THIS CASE, THE OIG HAS CLAIMED THAT THEIR ACCESS TO RECORDS WAS CUT BECAUSE THEY DID A REPORT ON MUNCEY.

[00:01:03]THIS IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE.

[00:01:05]A FEW MONTHS AGO, WE DISCOVERED THAT THE IG’S OFFICE WAS ACCESSING DOCUMENTS IN A WAY THAT VIOLATED STATE LAW, AND WE STOPPED IT.

[00:01:14]NOW, MAYOR BRANDON SCOTT IS PRESENTING A FOUR STEP SOLUTION, INCLUDING HIRING THE GLOBAL FIRM BAKER TILLY TO INVESTIGATE MUNCIE’S SIDESTEP PROGRAM.

[00:01:24]WE NEED SOMEONE NEUTRAL TO RESTORE TRUST WITH RESIDENTS.

[00:01:28]AND FINALLY, CLOSE THE BOOK ON THIS INVESTIGATION.

[00:01:31]THE PLAN ALSO PROPOSES CHANGES TO LOCAL LAW THAT WOULD CREATE A CLEAR PROCESS FOR DOCUMENT ACCESS FOR THE INSPECTOR GENERAL.

[00:01:39]THIS INCLUDES A NEW AUDIT TRAIL SYSTEM, A DESIGNATED LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE OIG, A CONFLICT RESOLUTION PROCESS, AND A QUARTERLY PERFORMANCE REVIEW BY THE OIG ADVISORY BOARD.

[00:01:49]THE MAYOR IS ALSO CALLING FOR CHANGES TO STATE LAW THAT WOULD ALLOW THE INSPECTOR GENERAL TO ACCESS MOST UNREDACTED RECORDS AND THE CREATION OF A STATEWIDE OVERSIGHT BODY TO GOVERN INSPECTORS.

[00:02:01]GENERAL.

[00:02:02]EVERYBODY HAS TO HAVE OVERSIGHT.

[00:02:05]THAT’S PERIOD.

[00:02:06]NO ONE IS ABOVE OVERSIGHT.

[00:02:08]THE MAYOR’S ANNOUNCEMENT FOLLOWS CITY COUNCILMAN MARK CONWAY’S FAILED ATTEMPT TO PASS A BILL THAT WOULD HAVE BOLSTERED THE IG’S ACCESS TO RECORDS, WITH INPUT FROM VOTERS.

[00:02:18]COUNCILMAN CONWAY RELEASED A STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO THE MAYOR’S LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE, SAYING, IN PART, QUOTE, LET’S BE CLEAR.

[00:02:25]ANYTHING SHORT OF RESTORING FULL, DIRECT ACCESS TO THE INSPECTOR GENERAL IS A COSMETIC MEASURE DESIGNED TO PROTECT CITY HALL, NOT THE PUBLIC.

[00:02:35]AND AS FOR THE INSPECTOR GENERAL HERSELF, SHE DECLINED TO COMMENT ON THE MAYOR’S LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE, CITING THE ONGOING LAWSUI