An audit of the Baltimore City Register of Wills office, overseen by elected official Belinda K. Conaway, has revealed significant concerns regarding the misuse of over $1 million of taxpayer funds on media and promotional materials, according to a report from the Office of Legislative Audits. The state audit, released earlier this week, highlighted spending patterns that suggest the office may have split orders to bypass competitive bidding mandates and skirt approval processes governed by the Office of the Comptroller, as outlined in an article by Maryland Matters.
Among the eyebrow-raising expenditures was nearly $200,000 for an infomercial that was produced yet never saw the light of day on television, raising questions about fiscal judgment and oversight. Also in question were certain hiring practices, including the hiring of an individual with an outside company that contracted with an office manager, who was responsible for hiring them, a relationship that the audit indicated was neither disclosed nor documented as required by state ethics law.
Furthermore, the CBS News Baltimore report detailed the purchase of 500 manicure sets for $1,300, featuring the slogan "Where there's a will, there's a way," that did not include any contact information for the office – a potential wastage of funds aimed at public awareness campaigns. Conaway's office, however, contested these findings, with the official herself dubbing the allegations "unsubstantiated" in a response provided to auditors.
There were several red flags raised in hiring practices as well, one egregious example being an employee who continued to receive a salary without showing up to work, with auditors unable to ascertain the frequency of the employee's attendance. And another instance of an ex-employee who ceased working for the office yet continued to receive paychecks totaling around $5,000 for unused leave and holiday time, an oversight Conaway's office admitted to, yet made no attempts to rectify despite guidance from the Department of Budget and Management, which recommended that the funds be recovered.
