Baltimore County Executive Kathy Klausmeier bypassed the first inspector general to serve the jurisdiction and named a former federal official, Khadija E. Walker, to the role — a move that disappointed members of the public and the County Council.

Walker has spent most of her career at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Chicago, largely as program analyst, though Klausmeier’s news release states that Walker “has more than 22 years of high-level Inspector General experience.”

She spent much of her time auditing programs to measure their effectiveness, according to her LinkedIn page. The county’s inspector general job is different, focusing on waste, fraud and abuse across municipal government, including high-level political malfeasance.

“Through our selection process, it became apparent that she is the most qualified candidate to further advance the office and continue to preserve integrity and transparency in Baltimore County government,” Klausmeier said in the Thursday afternoon news release.

Six of the Baltimore County Council’s seven members disagree. Four have said they will not vote to confirm anyone except Madigan; the appointment requires the council’s approval.

Hundreds of residents also expressed frustration with the selection process and what they consider the shabby treatment of a dedicated public servant. They have signed petitions, protested at the county office building and called their council members.

They have said Kelly Madigan, who has held the position since Johnny Olszewski Jr. created it in 2020, is the most qualified for the role. Madigan had hoped to stay for a second four-year team. But in May, at her first meeting with Klausmeier, the newly appointed county executive handed her a letter saying she would not be reappointed. Two days later, the county advertised the position.

Madigan declined to comment about Thursday’s decision, though she previously said she believed she gave a great interview to the panel reviewing applicants and wanted to continue in the role. Prior to becoming the inspector general, Madigan spent four years investigating public corruption as deputy state prosecutor and acting state prosecutor.

As part of her job in Baltimore County, Madigan investigated top officials close to Olszewski, including most recently his uncle.

Olszewski has maintained he had nothing to do with Klausmeier’s inspector general decision, though he supported the former state senator as his successor when he was elected to Congress last year.

From about two dozen applicants, the four-person review panel named three finalists: Madigan, Walker and a third whom the panel’s chair, Dennis King, declined to name. King said the panel did not rank the three finalists but felt they were all qualified.

“Baltimore County residents deserve an independent Inspector General to elevate the work of this office and put an end to waste, fraud, and abuse in our local government,” Walker said in the news release. “I am confident that my federal experience will help this office continue to eliminate corruption and enhance public trust and accountability on behalf of all residents.”

Peta Richkus, who is organizing a protest to oppose the move at 3 p.m. Tuesday before a Baltimore County Council work session, said audit experience is a valuable skill but the county already has an auditor.

“It sounds like they’re trying to change the actual job so it’s not as investigatory,“ Richkus said. ”The whole thing is twisted and bizarre. To throw a neophyte into Baltimore County — she’s going to be led around by her nose.”

Klausmeier has never been clear about why she wanted to search for a new inspector general. She acknowledged that Madigan was named “fraud fighter of the year” by her peers, and she told The Baltimore Banner that she thought Madigan had done a good job. Klausmeier first said the charter required her to conduct a search, then amended that to say she thought it was a best practice.

“I didn’t know if she wanted to do it again, so I just said, ‘OK, well, we’ll just go by the charter and just say, OK, 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 in June.

Klausmeier’s spokesperson later acknowledged that Madigan had been trying to get a meeting with the executive for months and had let Klausmeier’s staff know she wanted to stay in the role. When she finally got the meeting, she got the letter that she could lose her job.

Initially, a five-person panel was going to recommend candidates to Klausmeier, who would make the decision, King said. But the process changed because one of the five panelists, Arthur Elkins, could not make the panel meetings.

At some point, someone — King would not say who — decided a second panel consisting of Elkins, Klausmeier and Baltimore County Ethics Commission member Mandee Heinl would interview the three finalists and make the decision.

Elkins was the former inspector general of the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission, and he worked closely with Klausmeier’s chief of staff, Amanda Conn.

The Association of Inspectors General issued a statement Monday saying the selection process was rife with conflicts of interest, because the inspector general can investigate both Klausmeier and Heinl, and because Klausmeier appoints Heinl so she is not truly independent.

“The Baltimore County Administration appears to treat the selection of an Inspector General as substantially similar to the appointment of other senior staff who are charged to advance the agenda (including the political agenda) of the county executive,” the statement reads. “Conversely, the inspector general is charged with acting independently of the County Executive.”

Joanne Antoine, executive director of Common Cause Maryland, also condemned the search process, saying the lack of transparency “has destroyed public trust in the Inspector General’s office.”

“Baltimore County residents deserve a truly independent watchdog,” Antoine said, “and this chaotic nomination process cannot be the norm.”

Yara Cheikh, who was a finalist for the county executive position, had been planning to strengthen the inspector general’s office and cement its independence were she named to the county’s top job. She said her disappointment is not about Walker but the lack of transparency.

“The issue has always been the egregious process for which we now have a selection,” Cheikh said. “It has never been explained to the public why the current IG was not reappointed to her role.”

If Baltimore County Council members stick to their promise to stand with Madigan, it’s not clear Walker will serve in the job.

“There’s nothing I have learned that would change my mind,” said Councilman Todd Crandell, a Republican representing Dundalk, after seeing the press release. “I’m disappointed the county executive chose to go another direction even though council sentiment appears to be otherwise and public sentiment certainly appears to be otherwise.”