“It’s an open secret that the Mayor is running her campaign out of City Hall, but because this has always been ‘the way things are done’ in Baltimore, no one speaks out about it. But it is this sort of putting politics ahead of government that hurts our City,” continued Otis today. “For every moment her staff is spending on the campaign, that’s one minute they are taking away from the taxpayers who pay their salaries.”
In his letters, Otis also asked for a ruling on whether it is appropriate for the Mayor’s staff to be using outside email addresses during the day, as has been reported by the media. This practice effectively keeps communications out of the public’s view because private email addresses are not subject to the state’s Public Information Act. Both the Bush White House and Sarah Palin’s Administration were found to have regularly utilized outside email accounts to evade public disclosure of official government and political decisions.
"It's been reported by the media that her staff uses outside email accounts during the day to discuss politics," continued Otis today. "As taxpayers and citizens, we have a right to know whether this is being done using government resources or on government time and whether official communications are also being conducted outside the scope of the state's Right-to-Know law."
In his letters, Otis also detailed why there needs to be an independent investigation by the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City, the Office of State Prosecutor, and the United States Attorney for Maryland and not the City’s Inspector General. “When I first began my campaign, I proposed establishing an Independent Inspector General nominated by the Mayor and confirmed by the Council to a five-year term. I do not have any confidence in an Inspector General who owes their allegiance to the Mayor to do a fair, exhaustive investigation.”
“Baltimore faces major challenges and our residents deserve to know that their tax dollars are not being used to pay for politics,” said Otis. “That’s why today I am calling for the State’s Attorney, the State Prosecutor and the United States Attorney to immediately investigate whether government resources are being used to benefit the Mayor’s campaign. Although it is unlikely to get an answer before next month’s primary, it is critical that this type of misuse of taxpayer dollars be brought to light and stopped.”
Otis has made rebuilding Baltimore's broken system of government a centerpiece of his campaign for Mayor. In his first policy paper, "The Rolley Plan to Rebuild Baltimore's Government," Otis called for making it easier for the public to file a complaint against elected officials and City employees, having boards and commissioners disclose all contributions, and the establishment of an Independent Inspector General nominated by the Mayor and confirmed by the Council to a five-year term.
