By Adam Pagnucco.
Recently, I reported that Montgomery County Inspector General Megan Davey Limarzi had claimed that the county government had refused to turn over information she had requested for her work. Limarzi’s allegation followed a joint statement by the leaders of four offices of inspector general that a new state legal opinion restricted their access to public records in accordance with the state’s public information act. If that practice were allowed to stand, the offices’ ability to investigate local governments would be sharply curtailed. Baltimore’s inspector general is now suing the city’s mayor to get access to records, suggesting that this issue could become much more serious if unremedied.
Now two delegates – Montgomery County Democrat Vaughn Stewart and Baltimore County Republican Ryan Nawrocki – are introducing a bill clarifying that inspectors general are not bound by the state’s public information act in seeking information for investigations. This is what the inspectors general are seeking. Stewart wrote in a press release, “When the subject of an investigation gets to control the evidence, oversight is a sham… Inspectors general don’t work for the agencies they investigate — they work for the public. When there’s waste, fraud, or abuse, Marylanders deserve the truth, and they deserve it now.”
The press release by Delegates Stewart and Nawrocki is reprinted below. We will be watching to see how this bill proceeds through the General Assembly.
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February 26, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Lili Norkaitis, Communications Director
district7maryland@gmail.com
Delegates Vaughn Stewart and Ryan Nawrocki Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Protect Inspector General Investigations
ANNAPOLIS, MD — Delegates Vaughn Stewart and Ryan Nawrocki have introduced bipartisan legislation clarifying that inspectors general are not subject to standard Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) request restrictions when conducting official investigations.
The bill comes after inspectors general in multiple jurisdictions have been denied access to records by governmental agencies, which cited a letter from the Attorney General’s office asserting that inspectors general must follow the same MPIA procedures as outside requesters, despite possessing statutory subpoena authority. As a result, records historically available to investigators were withheld, hindering an active investigation.
The legislation restores inspectors general’s ability to obtain documents necessary to conduct independent oversight directly and prevents government agencies from blocking investigations through procedural technicalities.
“When the subject of an investigation gets to control the evidence, oversight is a sham,” said Delegate Vaughn Stewart. “Inspectors general don’t work for the agencies they investigate — they work for the public. When there’s waste, fraud, or abuse, Marylanders deserve the truth, and they deserve it now.”
“Inspectors general exist to uncover waste, fraud, and abuse, not to wait in line like a member of the public,” said Delegate Ryan Nawrocki. “If an agency under investigation can deny records by forcing an MPIA process, oversight becomes optional. Our bill ensures inspectors general can do the job taxpayers expect: complete, independent investigations that hold government accountable.”
Inspector general offices in Montgomery County, Howard County, Baltimore County, and Baltimore City support the legislation.
These offices have collectively saved taxpayers millions of dollars through independent investigations. The legislation clarifies jurisdiction, removes conflicting legal interpretations, and ensures investigators have the tools necessary to perform thorough oversight.