Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott raised more than $400,000 for his inaugural festivities last year from some of the region’s most prominent and politically connected health, utility and real estate companies.

The donor list, which Scott’s office released in response to requests from The Baltimore Banner, includes donations from more than 600 people and entities, many of whom bought $50 tickets to Scott’s inaugural night party at M&T Bank Stadium.

But the festivities were funded in large part by several high-dollar donors.

The mayor scored $25,000 contributions from six “platinum sponsors” including health insurer CareFirst, cable giant Comcast, Harborplace developer MCB Real Estate, Virginia-based SCI Consulting and Management, the Philadelphia/Baltimore-Washington Laborers’ District Council and Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, a law firm that has been representing the city in a multimillion-dollar lawsuit over the city’s accessibility for people with disabilities.

Scott, a Democrat, was sworn in for a second term on Dec. 3 after beating back a contest from former Mayor Sheila Dixon in the Democratic primary and besting Republican challenger Shannon Wright in November.

Morgan State University hosted the formal portion of the proceedings. The nearly three-hour ceremony included performances from poets, choirs, cheer squads and African dancers. Gov. Wes Moore, U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume and numerous former mayors crowded the stage.

In the evening, the celebration shifted to M&T Bank Stadium, where roughly 1,000 partygoers donned sneakers and formal attire. DJs performed as attendees dined on food catered by the stadium.

While the term is Scott’s second, the ceremonies were essentially his first. Coronavirus raged during the mayor’s first December 2020 inauguration. Only his parents and a few other observers were on hand for an austere ceremony in the City Hall rotunda.

This time around, Scott’s campaign courted donors which were organized into platinum ($25,000), diamond ($15,000), gold ($10,000), silver ($5,000) and bronze ($2,500) level sponsors.

In many ways, the donor list resembles Scott’s cadre of campaign backers. Platinum donor MCB Real Estate, the Harborplace developer headed by P. David Bramble, donated $6,000 toward Scott’s recent reelection bid. Three MCB officers collectively donated an additional $14,000, campaign finance records show.

Scott has been a supporter of MCB’s efforts to redevelop Harborplace, which call for residential high-rises on the city’s waterfront. He signed legislation placing a question on ballots this fall that will clear the way for the development, and he defended the proposal as it came under attack from city residents and former mayoral candidate Thiru Vignarajah.

Spokeswoman Alex Hughes said Bramble served as a co-chair of the inaugural celebration at Scott’s request.

“Dave felt it was important for the people of Baltimore to be able to celebrate the first two-term mayor in nearly two decades and a mayor who has driven murders down and worked to create positive partnerships with neighborhoods and businesses across the city,” she said.

The Baltimore fire officers union, also a contributor to Scott’s campaign, was among the inaugural donors. The group, which endorsed Scott in the spring, gave $5,000 to the inaugural fund.

While Scott’s inaugural fund was significant, it lagged behind some of his predecessors. Dixon, who served as mayor from 2007 to 2010, raised $730,000 toward her inauguration, The Baltimore Sun reported at the time. Former Mayor Catherine Pugh raised $474,000, The Sun reported. Scott’s campaign fundraising efforts also eclipsed his inaugural pot. He raised about $1.7 million toward his campaign.

Unlike campaign donations, there is no requirement for candidates to disclose inaugural donations. Scott agreed to voluntarily release the records.

Inaugural donations are also distinguished by a lack of limitations. Maryland caps campaign contributions from individuals and entities at $6,000 per campaign cycle. Scott’s inaugural fund had no limits. Nineteen donors gave more than $6,000.

Among them were several utility companies that do business in Baltimore. In addition to Comcast’s $25,000 donation, Scott received $15,000 from Verizon and $10,000 from Baltimore Gas and Electric Company. During his first term, Scott agreed to a controversial deal with BGE that shifted responsibility for capital improvements to the city’s 700-mile underground conduit system to the company. Customer advocates have argued the agreement, which Scott pushed through over objections from many on the City Council, will allow BGE to pass on additional costs to customers.

A spokesman for BGE declined to comment.

City health care providers were also well represented on Scott’s donor list. Mercy Medical Center contributed $15,000 while the University of Maryland Medical System and Johns Hopkins University and Medicine each gave $10,000. MedStar Health contributed $5,000.

Waste haulers were also a presence on the donor list. Baltimore Recycling Center, a Scott campaign donor, gave $10,000, while owner Jack Haden contributed $5,000. Eagle Transfer Services, a Baltimore-based dumpster service, gave $5,000.

Other noteworthy donations included $10,000 from commercial giant Amazon and $5,000 from Murphy, Falcon & Murphy, a venerable city law firm led by the politically connected Billy Murphy.

Scott also received $10,000 from Grant Capital Management, a Columbia-based company led by J.P. Grant that once held the city’s master lease contract. In 2019, Scott, then council president, said he would return donations after federal prosecutors alleged Grant was inappropriately funding former Mayor Catherine Pugh’s political campaign. Pugh pleaded guilty to charges related to the scheme. Grant was never charged.

Colleen Martin-Lauer, Scott’s fundraiser, said the majority of Scott’s funds were spent on inaugural festivities. Less than $50,000 will likely remain, she said. The campaign expects to donate any leftover money to a charity.