Press Release: Inspector General

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

July 29, 2025 

MEDIA CONTACT: 

Dwaine Thomas 

media@nickforbaltimorecounty.com 

[Nick Stewart is available for interviews with media (print, radio, and television) on this topic.]  

Statement from Nick Stewart, Democratic Candidate for Baltimore County Executive,  on Tonight’s County Council Hearing Regarding the Inspector General 

[Video link here: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/JG8JbJDMuC0] 

“Good evening, Baltimore County. My name is Nick Stewart, and I’m running for County Executive.  I’m here to talk to you about tonight’s County Council hearing on the inspector general. We heard a lot tonight about the importance of the Office of the Inspector General—and the valuable service that Kelly Madigan and her team have rendered to the county. 

However, we must step back to understand the context of this issue or else we’ll be destined to repeat the past. 

Baltimore County suffers from a status quo that abhors the very sunlight and transparency that good governance demands and that other modern governments rely on. 

The reason we’re here is because the County Council, during the process to appoint an interim,  disregarded qualified candidates for County Executive who were committed to transparency and openness. Instead, the Council used a sham process to cover up the fact that they preselected  Ms. Klausmeier before the process even started. 

Remember, the Council didn’t create an independent body to make a recommendation. The public wasn’t allowed to say the name of the person they supported for the position. 

The Council didn’t ask any candidate a single question during their supposed “interviews” with the  Council.

Page 1 of 2 

The Council didn’t have any public deliberations, so we could understand why they chose who they did.  

And the person they chose made substantial campaign contributions to certain councilmembers,  now running for County Executive, leading up to the Council’s decision.  

Having cast aside superlative alternatives, it strains credulity for so many councilmembers to now be aghast that their own appointee—chosen unanimously behind closed doors—is saying things that aren’t true and making decisions that go against the public will.  

When will we learn that a bad process leads to bad outcomes? Enough is enough. The public saw  through the County Council’s sham selection process for the interim county executive back in  January, and they see through the County Executive’s sham process for the inspector general today.”  

###  

Learn more: www.nickforbaltimorecounty.com 

Follow Nick on social media: www.nickforbaltimorecounty.com/socials  

By Authority: Citizens for Nick Stewart, Jaeah Fortune, Treasurer