MARYLAND NEWS

“The sequence of events so far has left some airport management professionals wondering about the integrity of the process. And they are also questioning the efficacy of putting such a financially consequential and long-lasting decision in the hands of a lame duck Board of Public Works.” Source: WTOP republished from their partners at Maryland Matters

Report says agency ignoring  breach of contract provisions. Source: Maryland Daily Record and https://www.ola.state.md.us/

Global consulting firm McKinsey & Company must face multidistrict litigation seeking to hold it accountable for its part in fueling a nationwide opioid crisis with aggressive marketing strategies, after a federal judge found it cannot use jurisdictional grounds to escape liability...The plaintiffs are private citizens, city governments, Native American tribes, school districts, and children with neonatal abstinence syndrome from opioid exposure in the womb. They are from 19  states…(including) Maryland. Source: Courthouse News Service

Federal Witness Allegedly Sought a $5,000 Payment to Testify Falsely or Refuse to Testify at Federal Trial. Source: US Attorney, District of Maryland

A Baltimore City jury has awarded more than $1 million to a deaf couple who said they were deceieved into entering a fraudulent rent-to-own agreement in 2018. Source: The Daily Record

Maryland families who had their federal assistance benefits stolen are seeking help from the state. Thieves are swiping SNAP and cash assistance before cardholders have a chance to withdraw their money. Source: WMAR Channel 2 Matter for Mallory

A state audit revealed more details of financial misconduct in the transportation department of Montgomery County schools, including ongoing theft, thousands of dollars in questionable credit card purchases and an “off the books” vendor account that have led to changes in the department’s leadership. The details were part of a Sept. 29 audit by the Maryland Department of Legislative Services of the school system’s financial management practices. Source Washington Post at MSN.com

An apartment management company of former President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and more than two dozen property owners agreed to pay $3.25 million penalty and restitution to potentially thousands of renters as part of a settlement with the Maryland Attorney General’s Office. Source: BaltimoreSun.com and Maryland Attorney General

Over $178k in SNAP & cash assistance reported stolen in August... On Tuesday afternoon, state lawmakers will question the Secretary of the Maryland Department of Human Services about stolen federal assistance benefits and recertification issues. Source: WMAR

Today the Justice Department announced the establishment of three Strike Force teams created to enhance the Department’s existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related fraud.  The Strike Force teams will operate out of U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Southern District of Florida, the District of Maryland, and a joint effort between the Central and Eastern Districts of California. Strike Force Team Locations Include Los Angeles, Sacramento, Miami, and Baltimore. Source US Attorney, District of Maryland