In the ongoing clash over access to city financial records, Baltimore's Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming is taking her battle to court with a pro bono lawyer. Her legal venture was authorized by her oversight board yesterday, as reported by The Banner. This move intensifies the dispute with Mayor Brandon Scott's administration, which has taken steps to restrict Cumming's inspection of city documents.
Mayor Scott's team recently announced that access to city legal records for Cumming’s team would be cut off due to the discovery that a staff member had "unfettered" access to a city attorney’s documents. According to attorneys from the Office of the Maryland Attorney General, interagency requests for records, including Cumming's subpoenas, fall under the Maryland Public Information Act. This Act precludes the release of various types of records, such as personnel and financial information. "Records protect city resources and taxpayer dollars, and the Office of the Inspector General should be able to review that without interference," Cumming declared in a statement obtained by The Banner.
The friction emerged when Cumming began scrutinizing the finances of the Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (MONSE). She received 200 pages of city documents with essential details redacted. Cumming told Fox Baltimore, "The documents are third-party contract payments. I wanted to see where the money is going." Despite being armed with voter-granted subpoena power, Cumming's attempts to enforce the subpoena have been bogged down by City Hall's refusals.
Mayor Scott argued, in a radio interview, that state laws prohibit the sharing of certain records, including juvenile and financial records unless parties are involved in a specific agreement with the state. However, the advisory board overseeing the IG's office has agreed to allow Cumming to enforce the subpoena and seek pro bono legal representation. Cumming expressed her resolve, stating, "It does bring me great concern, but this office is the office of the people," as told to Fox Baltimore. The hiring of a pro bono attorney for Cumming marks a significant escalation in the tug-of-war over transparency and oversight within Baltimore's city operations.
