MARYLAND NEWS

Bipartisan Coalition of States Say Google Illegally Maintains an App Store Monopoly; Unfairly Edges Out Competition. Source: Maryland AG

The Baltimore County Executive pulls a bill that would cripple the Office of the Inspector General. Before memory of the episode fades, an analysis of just how serious this attempt to undercut good government was. [OP-ED] Source: Baltimore Brew

Source: Association of Inspectors General via Baltimore Sun

The Association of Inspectors General says the proposed bill will “gag and shackle” Inspector General Kelly Madigan and give no more than an appearance of oversight and transparency. Source: Baltimore Brew

A press release this afternoon by the Baltimore County Executive says the bill was drafted “in collaboration with the Inspector General” – a statement IG Kelly Madigan vehemently denies… Very few jurisdictions – and none on the federal level – give elected officials or others the right to appoint panels to review IG operations because such “oversight” is considered an inherent conflict of interest. The Association of Inspectors General says “best practices” call for an IG office free of political interference and policies enacted that ensure that whistleblowers as well as targets of investigations are not subject to retaliation or premature identification. Source: Baltimore Brew

The administration and its Council allies are proposing an oversight board to curb investigations by the county’s corruption watchdog. Source: Baltimore Brew

The Consumer Protection Division has received reports that scammers are “spoofing” local hospital and public utility phone numbers in an attempt to steal personal and medical information, such as Medicare, Medicaid, and/or Social Security numbers, over the phone. Some of the scammers are threatening to terminate Medicare benefits. Never give any personal information to a caller you do not know or on a call you did not initiate. Source: MD Attorney General

The remarks were made at a meeting of the comptroller’s workgroup on pandemic spending… Sarah Sheppard, director of Education and Workforce for the Maryland Department of Commerce, told the workgroup that she was not aware of any fraudulent payments being made to the recipients of the department’s loan and grant programs for small businesses… Three businesses that appeared to have provided falsified documents in support of their application after further investigation were denied.  Source: Maryland Reporter.com

The (Baltimore City) panel will review the performance of the office and its chief, Isabel Mercedes Cumming, who has come under attack by allies of State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby. Source: Baltimore Brew

The two men represented to investors that their $500,000.00 investment would be used to create jobs in New Orleans and contribute to the rebuilding of the City.  A total of 31 immigrants invested a total of $15.5 million… instead of investing these funds into New Orleans-based job-creating enterprises, the two Maryland men fraudulently misappropriated investor funds for their own personal gain. Source: US Attorney, Eastern District of Louisiana