Baltimore Inspector General's Access to Information Becomes More Limited

New restrictions aim to add guardrails around the IG's investigative powers.

Feb. 9, 2026 at 9:07pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Significant changes will make getting information more complicated for Baltimore City's inspector general. The city's Inspector General Advisory Board recently released a letter calling for more transparency after several documents connected to an investigation were redacted. The Maryland Attorney General's Office weighed in with an opinion stating that information that would be redacted from the public would also be redacted from city agencies, leading to new recommendations that will change how the IG will get information from city government.

Why it matters

The inspector general plays a crucial oversight role in Baltimore, investigating waste, fraud, and abuse in city government. These new restrictions on the IG's access to information could hamper their ability to effectively carry out their duties and provide transparency to the public.

The details

After the Maryland Attorney General's Office issued an opinion stating that information redacted from the public would also be redacted from city agencies, the Baltimore City Law Department gave recommendations that will change how the Inspector General's office gets information from city government. This includes adding a subpoena process and other guardrails, similar to what is required for the Baltimore Police Department to access certain documents and emails.

  • On February 10, 2026, the changes were announced.
  • The Baltimore City Inspector General Advisory Board is meeting on Tuesday at 7 p.m. to discuss the IG's response to the new restrictions.

The players

Baltimore City Inspector General

Isabel Cumming, who has yet to publicly comment on the changes to her office's access to information.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott

Stated the Attorney General's opinion calls for guardrails on the IG's access to information, similar to what is required for the police department.

Baltimore City Inspector General Advisory Board

Issued a letter calling for more transparency after documents were redacted from an investigation.

Maryland Attorney General's Office

Issued an opinion stating that information redacted from the public would also be redacted from city agencies.

Baltimore City Law Department

Provided recommendations that will change how the Inspector General's office gets information from city government.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We would not allow the Baltimore Police Department to just have unfettered access to every employee's emails and all the documents and information. That has to be done through subpoena process, and there are guardrails on that. This is trying to build a similar process for which the inspector general would operate.”

— Brandon Scott, Mayor

What’s next

The Baltimore City Inspector General Advisory Board is meeting on Tuesday at 7 p.m. to discuss the IG's response to the new restrictions on accessing information.

The takeaway

These new restrictions on the Baltimore Inspector General's access to information could undermine the office's ability to effectively investigate waste, fraud, and abuse in city government, raising concerns about transparency and accountability in Baltimore.