Taxpayer Advocate Seeks Travel Records for Baltimore Mayor’s Overseas Trip

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Kara Zupkus (224) 456-0257

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This morning, the Taxpayers Protection Alliance Foundation submitted the following Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) request to the Office of Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott:

From January 1, 2026 to April 29, 2026: all internal communications and records, including emails, memoranda, instant messages, presentations, briefing materials, and attachments, created or exchanged by Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott or employees of the Baltimore City Office of the Mayor, containing at least one of the following terms: “Spain,” “Madrid,” “CityLab,” “Bloomberg,” or “Aspen.”

The MPIA request was sent in response to reporting that, “Scott left Sunday for Madrid to attend the Bloomberg CityLab summit, hosted by Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Aspen Institute, where he is scheduled to speak about Baltimore’s housing strategy,” even as the Mayor’s Office faces allegations of misusing taxpayer funds and a plurality of city residents polled by UMBC Institute of Politics says the city is on the wrong track.

David Williams, President of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance Foundation, offered the following comment:

“Baltimore taxpayers deserve accountability, not excuses—and certainly not international junkets on the taxpayer’s dime. Mayor Scott’s trip to Spain comes at a time when residents are still waiting for clear answers about reports that Mayor Scott’s office spent over $890,000 on food, office parties and flowers. At best, this timing shows a stunning lack of judgment; at worst, it reflects a troubling indifference to the financial burdens placed on hardworking Baltimore families. Public trust in Charm City leadership is eroded every time leaders like Mayor Scott treat taxpayer resources as a personal piggy bank.

“Equally concerning is the Mayor’s continued crusade against Inspector General Isabel Cumming, whose job is to shine light on precisely this kind of misconduct. Instead of embracing transparency and cooperating fully with oversight, Mayor Scott has chosen to undermine one of the few safeguards taxpayers have against waste, fraud, and abuse. Mayor Scott should release all expenses related to the trip, refocus on restoring trust at home, and commit to working with—not against—independent watchdogs tasked with protecting the public interest.”

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The Taxpayers Protection Alliance Foundation (TPAF) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to educating the public through the research, analysis, and dissemination of information on the government’s impact on the economy.