Baltimore Reverses Trip Approval for Indicted Employee
What happened
The Board of Estimates in Baltimore approved spending $2,751 to send Kara DiPietro, a senior official in the Department of General Services’ Fleet Management division, to a business conference in Texas. This approval occurred one day after federal prosecutors publicly announced her indictment for defrauding a pandemic relief program of more than $2.5 million. The mayor’s office later reversed the decision, stating that DiPietro would not attend the conference and the city would be reimbursed for the cost.
From foxbaltimore.com
Why it matters
The reversal follows the indictment of the employee, raising questions about the approval process within the city government. A taxpayer watchdog stated that the initial approval exposed broader issues regarding how the city reviews spending requests.
From foxbaltimore.com
Who's involved
- BaltimoreCity government that approved and subsequently reversed the trip for the indicted employee.
- Brandon ScottMayor of Baltimore, whose administration handled the reversal of the trip approval.