Baltimore County Executive Kathy Klausmeier said the county’s first inspector general never asked to be re-appointed to her position, so she decided she would “go by the charter” and require Kelly Madigan to re-apply for her job.

“I didn’t know if she wanted to do it again, so I just said, ‘Okay, well, we’ll just go by the charter and just say, okay, she can reapply for the job.’ She’s done a good job, from what I understand. She’s gotten different awards and everything,” Klausmeier said.

The county executive made her comments during an interview with The Baltimore Banner. They were her first about the matter since Klausmeier handed Madigan a letter on May 12 indicating the county would be advertising the job 48 hours later.

Madigan, though, said she has emails going back five months reflecting her efforts to meet with Klausmeier to say that she had worked hard to expose fraud and waste in county government, and that she wished to keep doing so.

When she didn’t hear back, Madigan said, “I kept sending emails, following up on my request to meet with the team, and I continued to put my head down and focus on my job.”

Her first email to Klausmeier’s staff seeking an appointment to talk about the position and her performance was sent Jan. 13. After that, records show, she sent several more emails to Klausmeier’s schedulers and her chief of staff, Amanda Stakem Conn. Meetings were scheduled and rescheduled until the May 12 sit-down, which Madigan thought had gone well until it ended with her receipt of the letter.

Madigan said the meeting’s purpose was clear: to outline her successes and make a case to keep her.

“I have been telling everybody that asked me that I would like to stay,” Madigan said Tuesday, when asked about Klausmeier’s comments.

But the Democratic county executive said that was not what she heard.

“Other people that have wanted jobs have come to me and … sat down and talked to me and said, ‘You know, I would like to continue my job,’ or I want a different part of this job,’ but she has never done that. That was the first time I met her,” Klausmeier said.

After Tuesday’s interview, Klausmeier’s spokeswoman, Erica Palmisano, clarified that Madigan did reach out to schedule a meeting.

“During the meeting, the County Executive discussed the work Ms. Madigan continues to do in this important role and encouraged her to reapply for the position during the open search process,” Palmisano said.

Madigan, though, said that’s not how she remembered it. No discussion of her performance or of her re-applying occurred; Klausmeier handed her the letter in a manila folder. The county executive said she was told to give it to her. Conn, Klausmeier’s chief of staff, then told Madigan the code requires an open search; Madigan corrected her that it does not, and that the code allows for re-appointment. Madigan then left the office.

In January, the Baltimore County Council appointed Klausmeier to become the locality’s first female county executive, replacing Johnny Olszewski Jr., who had been elected to Congress. Olszewski created the IG’s office and hired Madigan in January 2020, after campaigning on a promise to have an inspector general in a county with a history of “pay-to-play.” Two previous county executives — Spiro Agnew, who later became vice president and resigned in disgrace, and Dale Anderson — faced prosecution for misdeeds committed while Baltimore County executive. Many residents bemoan that a culture of favoritism for developers persists.

Madigan has won praise for her thorough investigations, which range from rank-and-file employees stealing asphalt to pave their own driveways to top officials accepting perks in exchange for county favors. Her office releases dozens of reports, which she forwards to state and federal prosecutors. In April, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners’ Maryland chapter named her “fraud fighter of the year.”

That tenacity seemed to make her unpopular with certain public officials. Just a year after hiring her, Olszewski sought to create an oversight board to rein in Madigan’s investigative powers. Introduced at Olszewski’s request by County Council member Julian Jones, the bill would have limited her ability to subpoena information and restricted her to access only to information available to the public.

Jones had been the target of two Madigan investigations. He committed $69,000 in county resources to pave an alley outside his district, which the county would not have done otherwise, and he sent out emails with a fundraising plea from his official county account.

The public revolted and the episode resulted in more funding for the office. A panel also recommended that her office be enshrined in the county charter, a change approved by voters last year.

In the wake of Klausmeier’s action, the public again spoke out. A group of activists presented a petition to Klausmeier’s office last month, expressing support for Madigan with more than 300 signatures gathered in 48 hours.

Six of the seven council members have said they want Madigan re-appointed. Several are considering legislation that would create an independent board so the position is not subject to county executive approval. Only Jones demurred, saying that Madigan “took the role seriously and dug into tough issues,” and that Klausmeier will “in the end make the right decision about the best person for the position.”

Inspectors general occasionally investigate their bosses, as Madigan did last year when she looked into an $83,675 payment that the Olszewski administration made to Philip Tirabassi, a former firefighter who was seeking a pension boost. County officials later concealed Tirabassi’s identity from the council, identifying him as “Philip Dough.” Madigan’s report found no intent to defraud, and concluded the payment did not violate any laws.

Klausmeier said she “never talked to Johnny” about the inspector general and no one pressured her not to reappoint Madigan.

“I did not fire her,” she said. “She has the opportunity to come forth and go before our special panel that we have gotten together.”

Klausmeier is referring to a panel she announced that would choose the next inspector general. Applications for the position are due Wednesday. Klausmeier has not named the panelists, but said the group would include judges and attorneys.

The county council must confirm the candidate. Madigan has applied; the county has not shared the names of the other applicants. Already, Council member Wade Kach, a North County Republican, has said he will not vote to confirm anyone except Madigan.

According to the posting, the position pays between $148,000 and $188,000 annually. Madigan said she’s been polishing up her resume and trying to figure out her next steps should Klausmeier not re-appoint her.

Klausmeier intends to serve until late 2026, when voters will elect a permanent new county executive.