By Adam Pagnucco.
Recently, I wrote about a report by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) finding nepotism in the county’s Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA). The OIG found that a housing department manager “participated in the hiring of a relative without disclosing their relationship,” a violation of county personnel regulations. When the OIG questioned the manager and employee about the hiring, both initially lied and later admitted to being related. The current report follows a finding by the OIG of nepotism involving housing department contract employees two years ago.
Now UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO, which represents DHCA employees, has weighed in with a press release. After noting the OIG’s findings, MCGEO revealed that it had written a five page letter to the county executive and county council complaining about DHCA Director Scott Bruton. The letter begins:
UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO (the Union) regrettably sends this letter on behalf of its Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA) members. We feel morally and professionally obligated to share the concerns of DHCA employees regarding Director Scott Bruton’s inability to lead their department effectively.
Director Bruton has destroyed staff morale, impeded operational productivity, wasted taxpayer revenues, and created a toxic work environment. This letter intends to demonstrate the complete lack of faith in Director Bruton and call for action to prevent him from continuing to fail DHCA employees and the housing-focused work programs in Montgomery County. The basis for this complaint and the lack of support for Director Bruton’s ability to lead DHCA are outlined below.
In its press release, the union also included a chart alleging a spider web of nepotism inside the department.
In the absence of further investigation, it’s impossible to impartially evaluate the truth of the union’s allegations. However, the union’s letter predates the OIG’s report by more than a year, and the OIG has so far found two cases of nepotism in the department. It’s not just the union’s word alone. Furthermore, MCGEO has endorsed Elrich in all of his elections for at least two decades, so its views cannot be ascribed to pure politics.
The union’s statement on DHCA follows and its letter to Elrich can be found here.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: April 1, 2026
Contact: Lisa Titus, Recorder, UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO
202-430-8466 | ltitus@mcgeo.org
UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO Responds to OIG Findings and Nepotism Concerns in DHCA
Montgomery County, MD — UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO, representing Montgomery County Government employees, responds to the Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) March 16, 2026, findings regarding nepotism within the Department of Housing and Community Affairs (DHCA):
The OIG report confirms that a manager participated in the hiring of a relative without disclosing the relationship, a violation of county personnel regulations. Both the manager and employee initially denied their relationship during OIG interviews, only later recanting. This follows a prior OIG finding in March 2024 regarding nepotism involving DHCA contract employees.
Before the OIG report, UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO repeatedly raised members’ concerns with county leadership about the culture of favoritism and nepotism that persisted in the Department.
In January 2025, the Union formally wrote to County Executive Marc Elrich, Chief Administrative Officer Rich Madaleno, and County Council members, highlighting a pattern of favoritism and inequities in DHCA’s workplace, including what employees described as a “friends and family plan.” Despite the union’s efforts to put a stop to the practice, the OIG report demonstrates that systemic problems endure.
While the March 2026 report identifies just one manager-employee relationship, UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO points out that there have been many instances where a manager has directly supervised multiple family members and close friends at DHCA.
“This situation creates the appearance of favoritism, limits opportunities for qualified employees outside this inner circle, and undermines trust in management and among colleagues,” said Lisa Titus, UFCW Local 1994 MCGEO’s recorder and union representative. “We are seeing cases where employees who file complaints have their concerns investigated by a friend of the individual involved, leaving little room for an unbiased judgment or fair resolution.”
Because long-standing concerns raised prior to the OIG’s findings were ignored, the Union is seeking immediate removal of the Director and the Manager named in the OIG report. The union is also asking the County to take immediate steps to ensure fair, ethical, and transparent workplace and hiring practices in a department that serves the public.
“Montgomery County employees deserve a fair and equitable workplace, and residents deserve confidence that decisions within DHCA are made without bias or favoritism,” said Titus. “The findings underscore the need for accountability, transparency, and strengthened safeguards to prevent conflicts of interest and restore trust among employees and the public alike.”