Baltimore IG Pushes Back on 'Unfettered Access' Claim Amid Mayor Dispute

Inspector General Isabel Cumming says new limits on her office's access to city records have hindered investigations into waste, fraud and abuse.

Published on Feb. 19, 2026

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Baltimore City Inspector General Isabel Cumming says new limits on her office's access to city records have severely hindered her ability to conduct investigations into waste, fraud and abuse, which is setting up a legal battle with Mayor Brandon Scott's administration. Cumming pushed back on the administration's characterization of her prior access as 'unfettered,' calling that description inaccurate.

Why it matters

The dispute centers on whether the Office of the Inspector General should continue to have direct access to certain city documents and IT systems, which is a key part of the IG's ability to investigate potential wrongdoing. This sets up a legal battle between the IG's office and the mayor's administration over the IG's authority and independence.

The details

Cumming says her office's authority is clear under city law and she has the support of the voters, who voted 87% to give the IG an independent citizen-based advisory board. Cumming emphasized that the Inspector General has the right and power to subpoena 'to require the production of any information, document, report, record, account, or other material.'

  • On February 17, 2026, Cumming visited the 'C4 and Bryan Nehman' show and pushed back on the administration's characterization of her prior access to city systems as 'unfettered.'

The players

Isabel Cumming

The Baltimore City Inspector General who says new limits on her office's access to city records have severely hindered her ability to conduct investigations.

Brandon Scott

The mayor of Baltimore whose administration has imposed new limits on the Inspector General's access to certain city documents and IT systems.

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What they’re saying

“I have never had unfettered access. What we have always had for eight years is direct access — the ability to do our job.”

— Isabel Cumming, Baltimore City Inspector General (WBAL)

“A lawyer in the law department was looking at some of their protected files and discovered someone had access that was not supposed to. That person who had access was someone in the Inspector General's office ... no one under law should have access to that information.”

— Brandon Scott, Mayor of Baltimore (WBAL)

What’s next

The dispute between the Inspector General's office and the mayor's administration is expected to escalate into a legal battle over the IG's authority and independence.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing tension between government oversight and executive power, as the Baltimore Inspector General fights to maintain her office's ability to investigate potential waste, fraud and abuse within the city government despite new limits imposed by the mayor's administration.