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Before we begin, we want to make clear that the featured image for this column was not created by The Baltimore Post. We obtained the picture from Johnny O’s Facebook page.
With that said, let’s talk a little bit about the would-be ’emperor.’
How many times have we heard the Democrats say that no one is above the law?
The Baltimore Post believes that Johnny O’s administration did, in fact, violate the law that deals with responding to Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) requests.
To give the reader some insight into this issue, please use the link below to review some of the articles published by the Post regarding the violence at Tiki Lee’s Dock Bar. That incident occurred back in June 2019.
It’s important to note that The Baltimore Post filed two MPIA requests–one for the police audio and one for the police reports involving this particular incident.
The Baltimore Post followed the MPIA requirements to the letter of the law. But what we received in response to our request was, in our opinion, a direct violation of MPIA law.
In both cases, the Baltimore County Police Department ignored our requests for the complete 911 audio and a copy of the police report. It took the Post more than six months, and the help of an arbitrator, to obtain anything.
Not to mention what we received is a far cry from what we requested.
For those who question our claim that Johnny O’s administration violated MPIA law, we will explain the ramifications when an agency deliberately fails to properly process an MPIA request.
These particular conflicts are addressed in Chapter 8, which states the following:
The PIA provides for both civil and criminal penalties for violations of the Act. Given this potential liability and the salutary purposes of the PIA, care should be taken to make certain that an agency’s officials and employees comply with the Act.
When an MPIA request is filed, the agency has 10 days to respond about whether or not the requested information is “protected” under the law. If there is no response, then said agency has 30 days to provide the requested information.
In our case, which was a particularly egregious violation, Baltimore County did not comply with our MPIA request at all. Rather, the county totally ignored it. Even after a mediator became involved, there was still a complete disregard for what we requested.
That matter was discussed in another Post article.
The following quote outlines the criminal penalties that are to be assessed to the agency or person who fails to provide the information requested. This can be found in MPIA Chapter 8 under Remedies:
B. Liability of Persons Who Violate the Act
1. Criminal Penalties
GP § 4-402(b) provides for a criminal fine not to exceed $1,000 for any person who willfully or knowingly violates the Act. 61 Opinions of the Attorney General 698
(1976); 65 Opinions of the Attorney General 365 (1980). This section applies to any person, not just to custodians or agency employees.
Again, as the Democrats have repeatedly stated (to the point of nausea), no one is above the law!
Do you hear that, Mr. Brian Frosh? After all, you are supposed to be the one who polices these particular egregious attempts to stop the flow of information from the government to the people.
Maybe if Mr. Frosh could take a few moments away from his fifth attempt to sue the President of the United States, he might find some time to devote to the people who elected him and do his actual job.
When he campaigned, Johnny O professed that his administration would be more transparent. Despite that claim, his administration demonstrates a continuous lack of transparency when it comes to anything that would tarnish the image of the would-be emperor … or whatever the hell that photograph is supposed to depict.
