Just after 4 p.m. Thursday, Klausmeier announced Khadija Walker as her nominee to be the next Baltimore County inspector general, deciding not to reappoint the current watchdog, Kelly Madigan.

Walker has more than 20 years of experience working at the federal level, though the experience is in audits — rather than investigations. Walker worked as an auditor for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and, most recently, worked as the deputy assistant inspector general for audits at U.S. Agency for International Development. She was hired at the foreign aid agency in September 2024, just months before the Trump administration began cutting jobs at USAID.

“She has only audit experience,” said Isabel Mercedes Cumming, Baltimore City inspector general. “An auditor goes after looking at regulations to see if they comply in that type of stuff, where an investigator responds to hotline complaints, responds to the people. That’s why inspector general is called the people’s watchdog — because their job changes all the time.”

The skill set between an auditor and an investigator is completely different, Cumming added.

“You’re doing an audit, you’re just targeting on a process,” she explained. “Investigations hold people accountable. Audits don’t.”

Touting her pick, Klausmeier said, “Khadija has more than 22 years of high-level inspector general experience.” However, Cumming said that’s not an accurate description of Walker’s résumé.

“That’s just not true. She was a supervisor,” she said. “It’s completely different, and she was never an inspector general, whereas you had a candidate that was an inspector general and has been inspector general and is certified as such.”

FOX45 News asked Klausmeier’s office if she believed Walker’s experience conducting audits would provide her with the necessary skills to conduct investigations, given her apparent lack of work history in that area of expertise.

While Klausmeier’s office acknowledged that much of Walker’s work at both USAID and the EPA was in auditing, they defended her work history as well, claiming that Walker “has led teams with investigators on staff and assisted in ongoing investigations throughout her career.”

“OIG audits and investigations are closely related: both rely on data analysis and information gathering, they often occur in tandem and have the same goal of identifying and preventing fraud, waste and abuse in government,” a spokesperson for Klausmeier said. “Ms. Walker has been intimately involved in both.”

Meanwhile, there have been other questions about the selection process overall. Once Klausmeier told Madigan she would not be renewing her contract — by handing her a letter during the first meeting the two had on May 12 — Klausmeier posted the job and formed a selection committee.

Arthur Elkins Jr. was one of the five members of the panel. After the first round of interviews, which included Madigan, it was revealed Klausmeier would be participating in the second round of interviews. Elkins was not available for the first round of interviews due to scheduling conflicts, according to a spokesperson for the Baltimore County Executive’s Office.

Klausmeier’s office said the selection panel made its recommendations to her following interviews, which had been the plan. Klausmeier wanted to have Elkins’ “expertise and input from his years of serving as inspector general during the interview process, so he was invited to be part of the final interviews,” according to a spokesperson.

After Walker was named Klausmeier’s pick, FOX45 learned she worked under Elkins’ leadership during his time as inspector general for the EPA. He left the agency in 2018, according to an EPA news release.

When asked about a potential conflict of interest in having Elkins involved in the interview with Walker, a spokesperson for Klausmeier said Walker “may have interacted with him three or four times on case work but never on a one-on-one basis.”

“She hasn’t seen or spoken with Mr. Elkins in nearly a decade,” the spokesperson added.

There were more than 300 employees of the EPA’s Office of Inspector General in 12 locations at the time, according to Klausmeier’s office.

The translation of experience appears to be a concern for at least one member of the Baltimore County Council, which will ultimately have to decide whether to confirm Walker’s nomination.

When Councilman Izzy Patoka learned of Walker’s nomination over Madigan, he said he believed her federal experience is “very different” from work done at the local level.

“I think that Kelly Madigan has done an outstanding job in a tough environment and should be reappointed,” Patoka said. “She established the inspector general’s office here in Baltimore County, so she is well beyond the learning curve needed to be an effective IG.”

“If confirmed, Walker would have to start at the very beginning here at the local level,” Patoka added.

Cumming also pointed out the differences between Walker and Madigan’s work histories, noting Madigan is an attorney and knows Maryland law.

“This person does not have the certifications necessary to be inspector general, and she actually has never been an inspector general,” Cumming said.

While acknowledging that Walker could potentially learn the necessary skills on the job and “anything is possible,” Cumming said, “experience is probably the great equalizer of anybody.”

While acknowledging that Walker could potentially learn the necessary skills on the job and “anything is possible,” Cumming said, “Experience is probably the great equalizer of anybody.”

Walker’s nomination is expected to be discussed Tuesday during the Baltimore County Council’s 4 p.m. work session. A rally to support Kelly Madigan is also scheduled for that day; that’s set to begin at 3 p.m. It’s not clear when a confirmation vote for Walker will be scheduled, and until she is confirmed, Madigan will stay in place as Baltimore County’s watchdog as a holdover.

Have a news tip? Contact Mikenzie Frost at mbfrost@sbgtv.com.

During an interview with FOX45, acting Secretary Betsy Fox Tolentino said she wanted to ensure DJS follows Maryland laws.

“I believe that we have to ensure that our operations are very closely aligned and so I’m going to dig in and see where do we need to make some tweaks to be able to make sure that again, we’re following all the rules that are set out for us in a way that gets the best outcomes for our young people,” she said when asked by FOX45 if she believed the agency was not following Maryland laws under the previous secretary.

From June 11 through June 26, the first two weeks of Tolentino’s tenure, law enforcement forwarded 689 complaints to DJS, according to an agency spokesperson. Of those complaints, law enforcement requested detention 86 times; DJS initially detained the juvenile 23 times, put the young person on GPS ankle monitor 28 times, and released the juvenile 35 times.

The rest of the cases were either resolved at intake, forwarded to various state’s attorney’s offices for review, or the young person was referred to programming for services.

But juvenile crime continues to be a concern for many. In Baltimore, a prominent pastor from Connecticut was in the city for a funeral. He told FOX45 he was carjacked by an armed teen.

“I forgive him, but he needs to go to jail, and he needs to serve time,” he said.

Baltimore Police later arrested a 16-year-old found in the pastor’s stolen vehicle, along with two other teens.

There have been other instances in Remington and Hampden recently involving young people. For example, a carjacking in Hampden involved five juveniles and three of them were wearing an ankle monitor already.

Meanwhile, violent crime continues to decline in Baltimore. Since 2022, homicides have dropped 62% in the city. Erek Barron took over as the U.S. Attorney for Maryland in October 2021 and sent the message to the region that the federal government was going to use an ‘Al Capone’ style of prosecution and go after gun crimes in the city.

In January 2023, Ivan Bates was also sworn in as the top prosecutor in Baltimore, vowing to hold repeat violent offenders accountable after years of more progressive prosecution policies from Marilyn Mosby.

“If you’re breaking the law, you’re going around with illegal handguns on the street, bring your toothbrush with you because we’re going to send you to jail,” Bates said at the time. “That’s very, very important. If you have an illegal handgun and you are a felon and you want to carry an illegal gun, we’re going to invoke mandatory minimums. We’re going to be very, very tough on illegal handguns. People will go to jail.”

FOX45 sent several questions to DJS, including:

• If a juvenile steals a car, what should the consequences be?
• If a juvenile assaults someone while stealing a car, what should their punishment be?
• What should happen when a juvenile commits an armed robbery and assaults someone in the process?
• If a teen holds someone at gunpoint or beats them during a robbery on the street, should they face automatic jail time? Should they be detained until trial? What would accountability look like to you in this situation?
• Should DJS be removed completely from handling cases involving violent juvenile offenders?
• Do you believe Maryland’s current laws are designed to hold repeat juvenile offenders accountable?
• What role should parents or guardians play when a juvenile commits a serious crime?

Follow Political Reporter Mikenzie Frost on X and Facebook. Send tips to mbfrost@sbgtv.com.

The contract was awarded to Fearless Solutions, owned by Delali Dzirasa, for an initial price of just over $1 million. Dzirasa is the husband of current Deputy Mayor Letitia Dzirasa. Fearless Solutions went back to the city for additional money to complete the job, and the request was approved, putting the total more than $2.2 million.

A recent report from the city’s inspector general cited the city for failing to open the project for competitive bidding, noting the city sent letters to six companies and only two responded.

“There is no website at this time,” Inspector General Isabel Mercedes Cumming said. “In fact, the company we hired stopped working for the city a year ago yesterday.”

When questioned about the contract price and the delayed delivery, Scott defended the action and said taxpayers can trust him to spend their money.

“I think they know they should,” he said before rattling off statistics about how the city spent the $641 million allocation in federal COVID-relief funding.

Scott said the city’s website system was antiquated, which is why he said the cost of the redesign increased. He did, however, note his own frustrations with the delayed services.

“The best way for me to describe it for you would be to say it’s going from Myspace to TikTok,” Scott said. “I am also upset with the delays, but my responsibility is to make sure that at the end, they get the best product that works for them, that they can use no matter what their level of internet savvy is.”

Cities with populations over half a million should spend between $300,000 to $1 million on a website redesign, according to a leading municipal website designer. San Diego was recently named the top big city website in the country and spent $646,000 on its redesign.

David Williams, president of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, said the city should demand the $2.2 million back and the company in question, Fearless Solutions, should be barred from receiving future contracts.

When asked if Fearless Solutions would be banned, Scott said the question indicated the problem was because of the contractor, which he said wasn’t true.

“I think that you’d be making the assumption that the issues were with the contractor,” he said.

“The issues are the issues,” Scott said when pressed on whether that meant the issues were with the city instead.

Echoing the outdated system, Scott did admit the problem was within the city.

“I laid them out to you in my response. I said the website and the systems were so outdated; the company did not make that, this was the city stuff that we had to fix,” Scott said.

Baltimore City’s Information and Technology Office, in a statement, acknowledged “the need for improved planning and more explicit scoping in future digital infrastructure initiatives and IT professional services.”

It’s not clear when the city’s new website will be complete.

Follow Political Reporter Mikenzie Frost on X and Facebook. Send tips to mbfrost@sbgtv.com.

In Columbia, Gov. Wes Moore led the crowd in a small, community parade that’s been snaking through the streets of the Longfellow community for 55 years. With signs, sports teams and floats, people marched through the neighborhood along the parade route. Moore took photos with people, shook hands, and snapped selfies.

While speaking with reporters, Moore said he felt it was “depressing” that President Donald Trump would be singing the “big beautiful bill,” the sweeping domestic policy agenda plan Congress passed Thursday. Moore called the legislation the “Greed Act of 2025,” and argued the plan will impact Maryland families and the country.

“[It’s] gonna knock 200,000 Marylanders off of healthcare. He’s going to sign a bill that’s going to cut rural hospitals. He is going to sign a bill that’s going to slash food assistance for the people in this state, that’s going to add close to $4 trillion to our national debt,” Moore said.

Moore went on to say that the people in Maryland know “we’re going to look after working families,” when asked if President Trump signing the legislation — and the potential impacts on Maryland’s bottom line or services — would spark a special legislative session.

Pointing to a familiar talking line, Moore touted what he and Democrats did during this last legislative session.

“We’ve turned a deficit into a surplus and gave the middle class a tax cut because they’re the people who deserve the tax cut,” he said.

When pressed on the tax and fee increases that also took effect this week, Moore told FOX45 that 94% of Marylanders saw a tax cut this year from the budget approved by the General Assembly.

“The way this works is the overwhelming majority of any type of that kind of increase that happens with tax reform actually happens to millionaires. So middle-class families just got a tax cut,” Moore told FOX45 when asked what he says to middle-class Marylanders who are still seeing impacts of the tax and fee increases.

“We make sure we took care of working families. We took, make sure we took care of middle-class families in the state of Maryland, and those who have a whole lot more, I am asking them to invest a little bit more to make sure that we have world-class schools, to make sure we’re not laying off police officers and firefighters.”

When asked if tax and fee hikes will offset the tax cuts he continues to tout, Moore echoed the fact that middle-class Marylanders received a tax cut.

Moore’s staff then said he needed to go to his next event. He appeared on CNN an hour later, where he continued to criticize federal legislation. Moore also touted the economic policies he said have been working in Maryland, noting lower unemployment rates in the state and job growth.

Follow Political Reporter Mikenzie Frost on X and Facebook. Send tips to mbfrost@sbgtv.com.

It’s not clear if that wasn’t always the case under the previous secretary, Vincent Schiraldi, who wrote an op-ed published in The Baltimore Sun Thursday explaining his departure from the agency. Tolentino said she’s going “dig in” and see where some tweaks may need to be made to ensure the agency is following “all the rules that are set out for us in a way that gets the best outcomes for our young people.”

“What I bring is a renewed focus to our operations, ensuring that our operations align with our Maryland laws and statutory framework, ensuring our operations get the best outcomes for our young people and ensuring that we are in a position to support public safety,” Tolentino said during the interview Wednesday.

Tolentino’s appointment was effective June 11 after Gov. Wes Moore demanded Schiraldi’s resignation following months of frustration from prosecutors, community members and law enforcement leaders around Maryland.

Schiraldi was controversial from the start. His confirmation process was filled with questions about his views on juvenile justice, including a now-decade-old op-ed published in The Washington Post where Schiraldi expressed the idea that young people up to the age of 25 shouldn’t be in the adult criminal justice system.

“One of the things that is different about me is the time I’ve spent here at the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services. I worked there for 11 years prior to coming back,” Tolentino said during her interview with FOX45 News.

After she left DJS, she worked for the nonprofit Roca, which works to prevent violence among high-risk youth.

“For the past three years, I’ve worked around the country helping frontline staff see how to do the work differently,” she said.

While Tolentino said she is different from her predecessor, FOX45 News found a 2022 presentation where she talked about detention and the negative outcomes that can result from unnecessary detention of young people.

“Detention has a negative impact on community safety,” Tolentino said in the 2022 virtual presentation. “When you’re incarcerating young people who don’t need to be there, they’re more likely to continue that delinquent behavior.”

Those comments mirror what Schiraldi has said in the past. Asked how she will be different from him if those are her views, she said she believes there are appropriate times for detention.

“Our statutory framework tells us when to use detention when there’s a risk to public safety, when there’s a risk to the young person’s safety or when there’s some thought that they may not show up for court. If we use it as we are supposed to, that’s one thing,” she said. “If we are using it for young people who are not appropriate for detention, that’s when we get the outcomes that we don’t want to see.”

When it comes to those detention decisions, several state’s attorneys previously said they want Tolentino to change the policy, taking DJS out the decision process. Instead, the prosecutors want a third party, like a judicial magistrate, to decide whether a young person should be held.

During a town hall with FOX45 News, top prosecutors from Baltimore City, Howard, Carroll, and Wicomico counties said they all have had examples of young people getting released before their court dates, and then not show up for court. Because of that, they said it was necessary to have DJS taken out of the detention decision process and allow another entity to make that decision.

While not committing completely, Tolentino said she would review all ideas brought to the table by stakeholders and public safety partners.

“I’ll evaluate it and see if it’s something that we can operationalize or if it’s something that you know is outside the scope of our current framework,” Tolentino said.

The prosecutors have argued they believe it’s a policy decision that can be made by the secretary.

“If they don’t show up for court dates, there’s consequences and implications that the court can levy, such as writs and warrants, but we want to make sure that we’re supporting our young people to get there. So, we’re going to dig in and see who’s not showing up, why aren’t they showing up, what strategies did we use that did that weren’t effective, and where do we need to make changes,” Tolentino explained.

Accountability remains at the center of the conversation surrounding DJS. For Tolentino, she said accountability looks like ensuring DJS follows the rules “that are set out for us.”

For the young people, she said it’s a case-by-case situation. Overall, DJS must ensure each solution is tailored to the individual, Tolentino said.

“Then design treatment interventions that help them and put them in the best position to be able to change their behaviors,” she added.

But when there are several examples of young people mocking the system, including going on social media saying they will be released after they are detained for various offenses, Tolentino acknowledged that it may be challenging to change the mindset for those juveniles.

That’s where the individualized plan comes into play, she said, “and then designing a system that has interventions that are based in what young people need so they can build skills so that they can slow down, see the possibility of doing something different and change their behaviors.”

Two weeks on the job, she said she’s not ready to put herself on a timeline for change. But she said community members should expect more communication from her and her agency. Rebuilding relationships with law enforcement, prosecutors, and the community is a focus for her as this chapter unfolds, Tolentino said.

But her focus extends beyond the community. There have been several reports showing DJS facilities are plagued with staffing shortages and severe morale problems. Tolentino said she wants the people working within DJS to know she supports them.

“It’s a priority of mine to ensure that our frontline staff have what they need so they feel equipped to do this job to really help our young people,” Tolentino said. “So, we have to take a look at where our current resources being utilized, where do we need to fill some gaps and we may need to make some shifts and we’re going to hear it from our frontline staff directly as well as our young people, families, and community.”

Under Schiraldi, DJS was an agency often shrouded in secrecy in terms of getting data and information about juvenile crime numbers, recidivism, ankle monitors, and progress for young people.

When pressed on whether she would commit to being more transparent with the public and the media, Tolentino said, “yes, absolutely.”

“As much as we possibly can,” she added.

Have a news tip? Contact Mikenzie Frost at mbfrost@sbgtv.com.

During an event Wednesday in Towson, Klausmeier said Madigan has “done a great job” and that she was “working through the process.”

When asked why Klausmeier has said she didn’t know Madigan wanted the stay on the job, given the previous attempts to schedule a meeting with her, Klausmeier didn’t directly answer.

“I’m just saying she’s done a great job. I anticipated working with her. I also am waiting for the process to work its way through,” Klausmeier said.

Klausmeier was tapped to fill the position after Johnny Olszewski took a seat in Congress this year. In May, she informed Madigan, the county’s first inspector general, that her job would be posted within 48 hours and that she was welcome to reapply.

“I emailed her several times between February and March, never had a meeting, and then I got a meeting on Monday, May 12th,” Madigan explained during a previous interview with FOX45 News. “I went to that meeting, I told them about the office, answered the questions they had, and at the end of the meeting, they handed me a letter that my job would be posted in two days. I was very surprised.”

A selection panel has been created to review the 23 applications, including Madigan’s, that will make recommendations to the Baltimore County Council. The council will ultimately make the final decision, and the majority have said they support Madigan’s re-appointment.

“Not one of them have said to me, ‘why did you do it?’ So, what can I say – that’s the end. I don’t know what else to say. She’s done a great job. I’m working through the process,” Klausmeier said when asked by FOX45 News why continue with the selection panel process when a majority of the council has indicated they will only support Madigan’s re-appointment.

Klausmeier reiterated Madigan has “done a great job,” but believes the county code required an open search for the next inspector general.

“Because the process said to me five years after that, you have to talk about it some more,” she said.

While speaking with FOX45 News previously, however, Madigan explained why she believed Klausmeier’s interpretation of the code was incorrect.

“The code very simply says that an inspector general may not serve more than two full terms and shall be subject to appointment for a second term in accordance with [section]A-1 and A-1, simply states [the inspector general is] appointed by the County Executive and confirmed by County Council,” Madigan explained.

“The code provision that they’re citing is [section] A-2, which is an open search, which is for a new candidate,” she continued. “So, certainly they could choose not to reappoint me for a second term and fall under [section] A-2. But I think their argument is that they’re required to fall under [section] A-2, which is just not true on a plain reading of the code.”

Meanwhile, Baltimore County Councilman Izzy Patoka said he plans to introduce legislation in July to create an independent advisory board for the Office of Inspector General.

“Now it won’t really be effective for the current situation because it has to go to the voters because it’s a charter amendment, so that will take place in November of 2026, if my colleagues should form a supermajority to pass it,” Councilman Patoka said. “And then if there’s any future events like this, this independent authority would be the appointing authority for the Inspector General.”

A timeline for the selection panel to provide names for the council to consider has not been determined.

Have a news tip? Contact Mikenzie Frost at mbfrost@sbgtv.com.

Betsy Fox Tolentino was tapped by Gov. Wes Moore to lead the embattled agency. She assumed her new role on June 11 and so far, it’s not clear what direction she will take DJS. In the governor’s news release, there was some information about Tolentino’s background, including her history working for the nonprofit Roca, which works to prevent violence among at-risk youth.

“Her focus on safety for all communities is defined by executional excellence, accountability for justice-involved youth, support for the staff who serve them, and sturdy grounding in the law is exactly what we need at this moment,” Moore said via statement.

Whether that will become reality, however, has yet to be determined. DJS has not responded to questions about Tolentino’s vision for the department, any planned policy changes or how she might address severe morale and staffing challenges. 

A spokesperson for DJS said FOX45 News could ask Tolentino directly during an upcoming interview that has yet to be scheduled.

Political analyst John Dedie said Tolentino will eventually need to answer questions from both the media and lawmakers ahead of her confirmation process.

“Until she meets with the media and the Senate leaders to discuss what she’s going to do right now, you can hold her to what she has said in the past,” Dedie said.

FOX45 News found a 2022 presentation Tolentino gave where she appeared to echo similar sentiments from Schiraldi about incarceration of young offenders.

“Detention has a negative impact on community safety,” Tolentino said during the virtual presentation. “Does it get us anything good? And what the research told us is really no. It really doesn’t.”

When you’re incarcerating young people who don’t need to be there, they’re more likely to continue that delinquent behavior, Tolentino continued during her presentation.

FOX45 News invited acting Tolentino to participate in an upcoming town hall with several state’s attorneys from around Maryland, but a DJS spokesperson said that likely won’t be possible.

Follow political reporter Mikenzie Frost on X and Facebook. Send tips to mbfrost@sbgtv.com.

But at the end, inspector general Kelly Madigan was handed a piece of paper indicating that her contract would not be renewed.

Madigan was tapped to be Baltimore County’s first-ever inspector general in January 2020. Since then, Madigan said her small team has reviewed some 900 complaints in the county and has produced 34 public reports.

“Whether it’s a report about employees misusing their vehicles or it’s a report about millions of dollars of waste in the water system, or waste related to trash haul vendors that are committing fraud, P-card reports, those reports would have never seen the light of day,” Madigan explained. “Those savings would have never been known.”

After former County Executive Johnny Olszewski resigned following his election to Congress, the council in January selected Kathy Klausmeier to be the next leader. Madigan said she sent emails “welcoming her aboard” and requested a meeting.

“I emailed her several times between February and March, never had a meeting, and then I got a meeting on Monday, May 12th. I went to that meeting,” Madigan explained. “I told them about the office, answered the questions they had, and at the end of the meeting, they handed me a letter that my job would be posted in two days.”

That news took her by surprise, Madigan said, especially since she had no prior indication there was an issue with her job performance. Madigan said Klausmeier pointed to a section in the county code that allowed for an open search for an inspector general.

Madigan said she disagrees with that interpretation of the law.

“The code very simply says that an Inspector General may not serve more than two full terms and shall be subject to appointment for a second term in accordance with [section] A-1, and A-1 simply states appointed by the County Executive and nominated by and confirmed by the County Council,” she said. “The code provision that they’re citing is A-2, which is an open search, which is for a new candidate. So, certainly, they could choose not to reappoint me for a second term and fall under A-2. But I think their argument is that they’re required to fall under A-2, which is just not true on a plain reading of the code.”

It’s not clear where the decision not to renew her contract came from, Madigan said. When asked if she thought politics were at play, she said it’s difficult not to have politics involved, given the way the office is designed.

“It’s a nomination by the administration and confirmation by the council. So that’s the executive branch and the legislative branch for Baltimore County government,” Madigan said. “So, it is political.”

Since the Office of Inspector General launched in Baltimore County, there have been roadblocks and efforts to weaken its powers. Members of the council have introduced legislation to strip her office of investigative powers, reduce funding and limit authority.

A Blue-Ribbon Commission was launched as well; people would go to the meetings and complain when they didn’t like what she was doing, but ultimately, the committee thought the policies and procedures were appropriate, Madigan said.

“We ended up stronger than we were before the Blue Ring Commission doubled down on all the things that we had done, and in fact, recommended strengthening the office, moving it to the Charter,” Madigan said. “It’s curious that this question of reappointment never came before the Blue-Ribbon Commission.”

Klausmeier wasn’t elected to serve in the current position. Rather, she was appointed by the council. FOX45 News requested an interview with Klausmeier to discuss her decision not to renew Madigan’s contract, but was told she was unavailable.

Instead, a spokesperson for Baltimore County issued a statement to FOX45 News indicating they “are grateful to Inspector General Madigan for her ongoing, dedicated work in ensuring the integrity and efficiency of Baltimore County government on behalf of the residents of Baltimore County.”

“County Executive Klausmeier encouraged Ms. Madigan to apply for a second term during this open search process, and would look forward to discussing the impact of her work over the past four years as well as how it continues to make Baltimore County better,” the statement continued.

“It’s certainly surprising that someone who is a temporary position holder, if you will, supposed to hold the position for two years, would kind of go about making this dramatic and drastic change,” Madigan said during an interview with FOX45 News. “It’s certainly a little bit upsetting because I felt like I had never really had an opportunity to sit and to talk with her for her to ask me about myself or about the office.”

In Baltimore City, the OIG is more of an independent office. There’s an oversight advisory board that’s responsible for appointing the inspector general, conducting annual performance reviews, reviewing and approving the budget. The office is also included in the city charter.

“The statute has to be independent. The person has to act independent, and you have to try to have all of the factors so that politics don’t play a role,” Madigan said. “Right now, in Baltimore County, when you have a process where the appointment and the confirmation is by the two branches of government, it is political.”

“This is the result of that.”

Have a news tip? Contact Mikenzie Frost at mbfrost@sbgtv.com.

Due to staffing shortages, young people at the Western Maryland Children’s Center in Hagerstown are often placed in their cells, which is a “practice of inappropriate confinement” and is “de facto seclusion,” according to the JJMU.

Staff are often forced to work on their scheduled days off and for hours stretching beyond their normal shifts, according to a veteran DJS employee who wished to remain anonymous out of fear of retaliation from DJS.

The DJS employee also said there are nearly 30 employees currently on work-related medical leave at the facility. That information mirrored what the JJMU found in its 2024 annual report.

“The facility is plagued by low staff morale, high numbers of staff out on injury leave,” the report documented.

Despite WMCC having a smaller population size than other DJS-operated facilities across Maryland, it had “the highest rate of incidents in 2024.”

“Whenever there’s a staffing shortage, you are going to run into safety issues if you don’t have a sufficient number of employees to monitor the people being detained,” said Jeremy Eldridge, a Baltimore-area trial attorney.

He said staffing shortages aren’t unusual at detention facilities, both in a juvenile setting and adult centers. But he said DJS must prioritize recruitment and retention of employees to ensure staffing is adequate, both for the safety of the staff and those detained, but also for the rehabilitation of the young people in the facilities.

“The idea of these staff secure facilities is to offer, whether it’s individualized therapy, trauma-related therapy, education,” Eldridge said. “But if you have an insufficient number of employees such that some of these programs cannot be monitored adequately, the children actually suffer.”

According to the Department of Juvenile Services, the agency reduced frontline vacancy rates from 17.38% in January 2023 to 5.09% today. However, it’s not clear if people who are on medical leave are included in that data.

“And until DJS is able to clarify that number, it’s unclear whether this reduction is true to form, meaning that they only have a 5% shortage, or whether that is not actually terribly accurate,” Eldridge noted.

In response to questions about the vacancy rate data and the percentage of employees currently on medical leave and the average length of such leave, a spokesperson for DJS on Monday said the agency is working to provide the data.

Meanwhile, the state monitoring team reported “both staff and youth continue to report feeling unsafe” at WMCC.

“At the DJS headquarters level, WMCC should be prioritized and receive comprehensive support until staffing levels are stabilized, appropriate training is ongoing, and a much-improved culture and climate is firmly established,” the report concluded.

Follow political reporter Mikenzie Frost on X and Facebook. Send tips to mbfrost@sbgtv.com.

The ad named “Steady Leadership” is backed by America Works USA, which is a political nonprofit. It features a woman talking up the work of Moore, including praising him for “actually cutting taxes for working folks” and “is doing a good job.” The ad does not mention the more than a billion dollars in new revenue included in the budget bill, however.

The ad flashes a phone number on the screen as the woman featured in the video encourages people to call Moore, a Democrat, to tell him that “his policies are on track.”

The ad comes more than a year before Moore’s reelection effort and amid chatter that he’s eyeing a presidential bid, though Moore has repeatedly denied his intent to run for the White House in 2028.

“It’s rare that you do an ad buy, even a political action committee, 18 months out,” said political analyst John Dedie. “That surprised me a lot, which kind of gives me the sense that maybe there’s some internal polling that’s not looking that good.”

Dedie called the last legislative session rocky for Moore, noting several of his priority bills didn’t make it across the finish line and he was saddled with a budget crisis.

In March, polling from Gonzales Research showed Moore’s sparkling approval ratings had started to dull, slipping from 61% in January to 55%.

Moore is “seen as a rising star in the Democratic Party and it would be a major elbow to the ribs to have Moore lose next year running for reelection,” Dedie said. “So, I think they’re trying to do a little bit of triage right now.”

According to its website, America Works USA’s goal is to find unique ways to “promote progressive policy, strengthen our democracy, and build powerful infrastructure in states.” It’s a PAC that is affiliated with the Democratic Governors Association and was created in 2011, according to the Center for Public Integrity.

Moore has said numerous times he’s focused on continuing his service to the people of Maryland. So far, Baltimore Blast indoor soccer team owner Ed Hale has launched a primary bid against Moore, citing his concerns with taxes and the overall economy.

“Six Flags is leaving. The FBI decided not to come, after Senator Cardin and Senator Mikulski worked for decades tirelessly to get that to come here, they’re not going to be here,” Hale said during his announcement in May. “And now, the Washington Commanders are going to move out of the state. So, that was just over the last month. I really believe that we could do better, and we should be a little bit more business-friendly.”

It’s unclear who the Republican Party will nominate ultimately, but Dedie said there’s only one person he believes who could make “a formidable challenge to Wes Moore,” and it’s former Republican Gov. Larry Hogan. Because of that, Dedie said, the money could pour into the race.

“I think this is going to be one of the most expensive gubernatorial races in the country, I think it’s going to be the nastiest gubernatorial race Maryland has seen in years,” he explained.

Hogan has not yet explicitly said he will make another run for governor in 2028.

Follow Political Reporter Mikenzie Frost on X and Facebook. Send tips to mbfrost@sbgtv.com.