Baltimore Officials Under Microscope After Tax Records Questioned
Yet another top Baltimore Police Official is facing tough questions after it was learned he “failed to file” his personal business taxes until the day after a local reporter questioned him about it. That leaves Deputy Police Commissioner Andre Bonaparte responding to questions similar to those that recently led to the ouster of the city’s former police commissioner.
Bonaparte quickly filed property tax returns for two businesses, in order to avoid allegations that he was operating out of compliance with Maryland law. In a statement to the press, Bonaparte said, “The clerical matters brought to my attention have been rectified… My businesses, that I have operated above board and ethically for several years, are in good standing…”
That might have been it, except for the context, which some are saying is a trend that leads right back to Baltimore’s mayor’s office. Several top officials in Baltimore are being asked to answer tough questions, including Mayor Catherine Pugh. Some are openly – and loudly – wondering just how well Pugh vets her top appointed staff, questions that may have contributed to the resignations of two other city officials.
The dominos started falling back in March, when the mayor’s spokesman, Darryl Strange, resigned only a few hours after being introduced to the press. Strange was asked about several lawsuits that had been filed against him while he was still in law enforcement. Shortly thereafter, it was announced he would be leaving his post after less than one day on the job.
Two months later, the city’s deputy civil rights director, Charles Byrd, Jr., resigned. This, too, came directly after local media asked him about being disbarred as an attorney just last year.
So far, the mayor has rebuffed questions about her vetting process, leaving reporters to speculate and voters to wonder, out loud, what’s happening down at city hall. While, individually, these situations could be chalked up to the past coming back around, when reported together, in sequence, the story creates questions Mayor Pugh will need to answer sooner, rather than later.
And, with the mayor’s office not responding to questions, pressure has been put on the Interim Police Commissioner, Gary Tuggle, who faces blistering questions about the practices of his highest-ranking officers and officials. Tuggle has chosen to present his department as one that’s focused on police work, not outside businesses, though he admits several officials do have outside concerns:
“While I know it has been a practice in the past that senior commanders have had secondary jobs, I expect, particularly at the highest levels of the agency, that my senior commanders are focused on the crime fight and reform efforts and not distracted by secondary employment… If I see that secondary employment is becoming a distraction, I have the right to revoke that opportunity.”
That, at least, may offer some respite for an anxious Baltimore public, whose current trust level of their top elected and appointed officials, at least currently, could be higher.
About the Author: Adam Jiwan is an entrepreneur.
