BALTIMORE — Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott announced a package of legislation to outline how the city's inspector general accesses records and which records the office is allowed to see in full.
The redaction of records has been the subject of a legal battle between the OIG and the mayor after IG Isabel Cumming sued the city for allegedly shielding subpoenaed MONSE records.
Scott views the package as an addition to the legal defense. "This is in addition to our legal strategy, not separate from," said Scott.
Councilman Mark Conway, who has supported the inspector general in this battle with the mayor, once again came to the defense of IG Cumming.
“What has been described by the mayor today sounds like a system where the inspector general can investigate government misconduct only through procedures controlled by the mayor's lawyers and politically contaminated oversight structures," said
"I'm proposing a four-step solution to change both local and state law to amend the MPIA so IGs can access unredacted information," said Mayor Scott during the announcement of his legislative agenda.
The four-step process would first change city code to outline how documents can be accessed and provide more oversight of the inspector general.
It would also bring in an independent investigator to review records from the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE). If the independent group confirms the OIG's findings, the city will try to get the money back and punish those who defrauded Baltimore.
"They will have access to everything legally they can have access to under the state of Maryland law," said Scott about whether or not the independent investigator will have access to the redacted or unredacted portions of the records.
Third, the mayor is supporting statewide legislation to create a carve-out in MPIA for inspectors general. Legislation in the 2026 legislative session did not make it through before the end of the session.
"This is the heart of the legal issue, and we are working to remove that hurdle," said Scott.
Inspector General Isabel Cumming declined to comment on the legislative package.
