Politics
Baltimore watchdog says 67 subpoena requests remain unanswered as court deadline nears
Inspector General Isabel Cumming says her office has received no documents in response to about 67 subpoenas, despite a court order requiring Baltimore to finish producing records by Nov. 5. The dispute could return to court if the city misses the deadline, as the watchdog says it has 41 investigations pending.
BALTIMORE — Baltimore’s Office of the Inspector General says it has received no documents responsive to about 67 outstanding subpoena requests, weeks before a court-ordered deadline requiring the city to turn over records by Nov. 5.
Inspector General Isabel Cumming said Thursday, Oct. 15, that the records remain outstanding. The office has received about 200 pages of redacted material related to nonprofit invoices, she said, but the redactions remain in place. Cumming disputes the city’s position that attorney-client privilege protects the information.
A Baltimore Circuit Court judge ruled in September largely in favor of the watchdog, ordering the city to restore the office’s previous access to city systems and produce records responsive to subpoenas issued in 2025 and 2026. The order gave the city 45 days to complete production. The city appealed, and that appeal remains pending.
The dispute began after the city restricted the inspector general’s access to some municipal systems in January. The Scott administration has raised concerns about privileged and otherwise protected information. The inspector general’s office argued that limits on its access impaired its independence and its ability to investigate allegations of fraud, waste and abuse.
Cumming said the lawsuit initially involved roughly 2 million documents, but the office narrowed its requests to records related to its investigations. The watchdog has eight investigators and 41 active investigations, she said, alongside the 67 outstanding records requests.
The office continues to accept public complaints and says it prioritizes cases based on their potential impact. Cumming said one recently released report had been in development for nearly two years, a delay she partly attributed to the effects of the records-access dispute.
The inspector general previously sought to have the city held in civil contempt over access restrictions, then withdrew the petition after concluding that access had been restored. The office reserved the option to return to court if it found the city had not complied.
Asked what would happen if the city fails to meet the Nov. 5 production deadline, Cumming said her office could again pursue contempt proceedings. “Hoping that does not happen,” she said.