Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott is engaged in a bitter dispute with Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming, who has accused City Hall of abusing expenses by spending $50,000 on snacks at sports games, according to a report.
Origin of the Feud
The disagreement began in January when Cumming investigated potential fraud in a city-run youth diversion program but received only heavily-redacted invoices from record-keepers. After issuing a subpoena for unredacted originals, she claims she was ignored. The inspector general stated she initially had "unapproved and unfettered access" to legally protected work communications, but this access was later withdrawn, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
City Hall's Response
The city subsequently announced changes to the rules for her office, including imposing compulsory confidentiality provisions for personnel, medical, and financial information, which it said was required under state law. Cumming characterized the move as "an attempt to stop transparency," but Scott disputed her interpretation, telling the WSJ he remained "in full support of transparency, but it has to be done the right way."
Report on Spending
Earlier this year, the IG released a report detailing $167,000 in unchecked spending by staffers from the mayor's office over three years, which included $50,000 spent on crab cakes and Old Bay wings in skyboxes at Baltimore Orioles and Ravens games. She alleged excessive spending on "birthday celebrations, employee appreciations, baby showers, and flowers for a selective few" and noted that one senior employee requested a daily "fresh fruit tray" for their team.
Escalation and Ethics Complaint
Scott's office responded by challenging Cumming's "characterizations and implications" about the spending, pointing out that it routinely entertains "everyday Baltimoreans" and city workers. After suing the Scott administration to regain lost access, the IG faced backlash in April for sharing a Facebook video featuring an AI-generated image of the mayor smoking a cigar amid stacks of cash. Scott said he was "very disappointed," noting he does not drink or smoke, and commented: "That just adds on to the fire... oh yeah, it is a young Black guy, he has to be corrupt." His chief of staff filed an ethics complaint over the video, but Cumming told the WSJ she considered it a distraction: "My motivation is for the public. We are an independent watchdog."
City Council Proposal
Baltimore City Council has since considered a proposal to restore the IG's access to internal records, but it stalled when a city lawyer argued it amounted to an attempt to circumvent the state Public Information Act. The spending reports have faced backlash amid a cost of living crisis, with David Paleologos, director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center, noting: "People who can't pay their own bills are saying, 'I pay my taxes, I'm working three jobs,' while officials are just blowing money on crab dinners and boxes."
