Baltimore Mayor Responds to Inspector General's P-Card Review

Scott says office violated policies but did not misuse city funds

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott is responding to an inspector general's review of his office's use of city purchase cards. The report found the mayor's office did not document more than $100,000 in spending, including tickets for Baltimore Ravens and Orioles games. Scott says they are correcting the practices that led to the lack of documentation, but insists there was no misuse of city dollars.

Why it matters

The review of the mayor's office purchase card usage raises questions about transparency and accountability in city government spending. While Scott claims there was no misuse, the lack of documentation is concerning and could undermine public trust if not properly addressed.

The details

The inspector general's report found the mayor's office did not properly document over $100,000 in spending on city purchase cards, including tickets to Baltimore Ravens and Orioles games. Scott acknowledged the office violated purchasing card policies, but said they are working to correct the issues and that there was no misuse of city funds.

  • The inspector general's review was conducted in 2026.

The players

Brandon Scott

The mayor of Baltimore who is responding to the inspector general's review of his office's purchase card usage.

Isabel Cumming

The Baltimore City Inspector General who conducted the review and filed a lawsuit for access to city records.

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What they’re saying

“We're not talking about misuse of city dollars. We're talking about practices that folks should have filed but they didn't and we're correcting those.”

— Brandon Scott, Mayor of Baltimore (wbal.com)

What’s next

In Annapolis, legislation was introduced to give the inspector general access to any records, which could impact the ongoing lawsuit filed by the inspector general for access to city records.

The takeaway

This case highlights the importance of transparency and accountability in government spending, even if there are no allegations of outright misuse of funds. The mayor's office will need to work to regain public trust by fully addressing the documentation issues identified by the inspector general.