Baltimore County Employee Misused Government Vehicle for Political Campaign Over Two Years

An investigative report by Baltimore County Inspector General Kelly Madigan revealed that a crew chief from the Department of Environmental Protection and Sustainability improperly used a county vehicle for personal errands and political campaign work tied to Congressman Johnny Olszewski's campaigns from 2022 to 2024. GPS tracking showed the vehicle was driven 36 times to Olszewski’s campaign headquarters and 10 times to a Baltimore City location where campaign signs were assembled, totaling nearly 90 and 11 hours respectively. The crew chief also frequently parked the vehicle at their residence and made unauthorized personal stops, violating county policies that prohibit political activities and personal use of government vehicles during work hours. The employee, identified through county records as Robert Olszewski, the congressman’s uncle, no longer works for the county. The report highlighted a failure in oversight, noting supervisors did not properly monitor GPS data despite the county investing nearly $340,000 in the tracking system. Baltimore County officials have responded by initiating a comprehensive review of vehicle use policies to prevent future abuses.