The following letter was written by Baltimore County Executive Kathy Klausmeier after she has received criticism about selecting Khadija E. Walker as Inspector General over current IG Kelly Madigan
Ensuring an open, honest, and accountable government is the highest responsibility of a county executive. Residents deserve to know that they have the most qualified inspector general working on their behalf – as well as an administration that looks inward and continues to find ways to improve Baltimore County.
That is why I am proud of the work the Inspector General Selection Panel did on behalf of our residents. The exceptionally qualified panel consisted of two former members of the Baltimore County Blue Ribbon Commission on Ethics and Accountability, two former inspectors general, and a respected local attorney appointed by the County Council.
Twenty-three people applied for the role, and panel members interviewed several candidates who met the minimum qualifications for this job. The panel recommended finalists, which was its charge from the beginning.
Throughout this process, Khadija Walker stood out as the most qualified candidate to elevate the Office of the Inspector General. In addition to her more than 22 years of high-level experience, I was particularly impressed by her fearless work to hold the federal government accountable in the wake of the Flint, Michigan and Jackson, Mississippi water crises.
While the selection panel recommended three candidates for my consideration, the charter requires that the county executive is the appointment authority and I am proud to have selected Khadija Walker to serve in this role.
This selection process has achieved exactly what we set out to do; to identify the most qualified candidate. I urge the members of the Baltimore County Council as well as our residents to consider Khadija Walker’s experience, leadership, and dedication to open, honest, and accountable government. I have full confidence in her abilities, knowledge, and character and I believe anyone who learns more about her career will agree that she is the right person to lead this important office.
It is disappointing that Ms. Walker’s impressive credentials have come under attack for political reasons.
To be clear, it is commonplace for inspectors general at all levels of government to have auditing experience. The County Charter explicitly states the following: “The Inspector General shall be professionally qualified, by experience or education, in auditing, law, ethics, compliance, government operations, or financial management, and shall be selected solely on the basis of professional ability and personal integrity.”
In those areas, Ms. Walker has extensive experience and stands out in the field; she has also led teams with investigators on staff and assisted in ongoing investigations throughout her career.
I made it clear during my candidacy for county executive that I would not run for this position in the 2026 election. However, that does not mean I can deny my responsibility to make sure that we have the most qualified and competent people serving our residents. I am proud to continue the work to make
Baltimore County better every day and I am sure that Khadija Walker will build on that progress and ensure a local government that all our residents can be proud of.
