Making her first public appearance after a contentious selection process, Khadija Walker said she could do the job of Baltimore County inspector general while commuting daily more than 200 miles from her home in Virginia.

“I don’t think it will interfere at all,” she told Councilman Todd Crandell, who referenced her “living so far away from Baltimore County” – a five-hour, roundtrip car commute, The Brew reported yesterday.

“I live in Fredericksburg, Va.,” she confirmed. “Residency wasn’t a requirement for the job, and I don’t think it will interfere at all with me getting to work every day to work for the citizens of Baltimore County.”

“Rough commute,” Crandell said.

“It is,” she agreed.

Last night the 47-year-old presented herself to the County Council, a prelude to a vote by lawmakers, expected next Monday, on whether to confirm her nomination.

A rally in support of incumbent IG Kelly Madigan was held before the hearing by about 90 people sweltering in the heat outside of the Historic Courthouse in Towson.

Speakers denounced the selection process as tainted by politics. “This goes beyond Kelly Madigan. It’s about an independent IG who’s not afraid to take Baltimore County out of its Tammany Hall days,” said former state Senator Jim Brochin.

“Johnny O gave her two votes [to become the county executive], and Kathy Klausmeier got her marching orders from the puppet master in Washington, D.C.,” Brochin said, referring to Johnny Olszewski, the former county executive who was sworn in as a U.S. congressman in January.

“Johnny O gave her two votes, and Kathy Klausmeier got her marching orders from the puppet master in Washington, D.C.”  – Former state Senator Jim Brochin.

Three Republicans – Crandell, Wade Kach and David Marks – have publicly said they would only support Madigan, indicating that they would vote against Walker’s nomination next Monday. None of them explicitly stated how they would vote last night.

Izzy Patoka, a Democrat, praised Walker as “a very impressive person,” but said at the rally he remains on “the Madigan train” because she has done “an exceptional job” as the county’s first inspector general.

The leanings of Democratic councilmen Pat Young and Mike Ertel are unclear.

• UPDATE: Is Pat Young preparing the way for a flip-flop?

Both have previously voiced support of Madigan, but appear reluctant to buck the county executive. Democrat Julian E. Jones, Jr., the subject of two critical Madigan reports, telegraphed his full support of Walker last night.

In May, or four months after being named interim county executive, Klausmeier told Madigan she would not be appointed to a second term, setting off a firestorm of criticism by good-government groups as well as a citizens’ petition drive calling for Madigan’s reinstatement.

Last week Klausmeier bypassed Madigan, who had reapplied for the job, in favor of Walker, an unknown figure in Baltimore County whose career has been spent as an auditor for the Environmental Protection Agency and, most recently, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

Not Commenting on “Rumors”

Walker declined last night to address reports in The Brew and elsewhere that she does not have the qualifications to effectively perform the job.

“I would like to give you the opportunity, if you would like to take it, to address what has been said in the press,” Crandell said.

“I don’t have anything I’d like to address. I actually have not been following the press as closely, just for peace of mind,” Walker replied. She said there have been “rumors” – and that “most of them are not actual.”

The criticism focuses on her not being an attorney or a certified inspector general, as is Madigan (who also was a state and Baltimore City prosecutor).

Instead, according to Walker’s LinkedIn resume, she has been a career auditor assigned to the inspector general’s office who never actually led investigations into government waste, fraud and corruption, the specific charge for an IG office.

Walker has never investigated an elected official and, if she did so, “it is important that the facts are gathered delicately and behind the scenes before any of the evidence is exposed to the public.”

She was asked by Councilman Patoka if she ever conducted an investigation of an elected official, which in the case of Baltimore County, would involve eight people – the seven council members and the county executive.

Saying she had never done such an investigation, Walker volunteered how she would conduct it – “delicately and behind the scenes” – a statement that seemed crafted to satisfy Councilman Jones, who loudly objected to Madigan’s 2022 investigation of his misuse of the county email system to raise campaign money.

“It is important that the facts are gathered delicately and behind the scenes before any of the evidence is exposed to the public when it comes to those types of things,” Walker said. “My team of investigators [would need to follow] established protocols to establish the burden of proof and if it needs to move into legal proceedings, criminal or civil.”

(In his rebuke to Madigan, Jones said the IG should have come to him privately before issuing a report. “I do believe it would have been more constructive and productive to simply communicate the problem sooner rather than later as to what had occurred so it could be quickly rectified,” he wrote.)

A “Passion” for Listening

Asked whether a law degree was required for the inspector general position, Walker said no,  explaining, “IGs come from three different camps – audits, attorneys or investigations. So whenever one is setting up an IG shop and one of them from a particular camp, you staff out accordingly. These relationships are symbiotic in terms of investigations and audits and evaluations, and we all work together.”

Walker repeatedly emphasized her “passion” for listening to, and learning from, citizens, noting that when she worked on an EPA report on government accountability in the 2018 Flint, Mich., water crisis, she talked to many people.

“I think it’s my duty to find out what is plaguing the community in terms of how the government is running, and how we can make it better”  – Khadija Walker.

She said she wants to use her years of federal experience “to bring ideas to help Baltimore County” through the oversight of code enforcement, permitting, water quality, housing, public contracting and improving government efficiency.

“I think it’s my duty to find out what is plaguing the community in terms of how the government is running, and how we can make it better, and to improve it and to enhance accountability and to suss out fraud and abuse.”

“So I will be passionate,” she continued. “I will bring integrity. I will bring openness, communication, honesty. But most importantly, I can improve Baltimore County.”

• Link to The Brew’s full coverage of Kelly Madigan’s non-reappointment.