Baltimore, Maryland (May 9, 2012) – Department of Human Resources Secretary Ted Dallas issued the following statement today regarding allegations of bribery on the part of an employee of the Baltimore City Office of Child Support Enforcement:
“This morning, it came to my attention that an employee of the private, third-party contractor responsible for collecting child support on behalf of the Baltimore City Office of Child Support Enforcement allegedly solicited and accepted a bribe from a non-custodial parent. The Department of Human Resources has zero tolerance for this sort of behavior, which is contrary to everything Marylanders expect and deserve from their public servants.
My office has contacted the Baltimore City Police Department, and they will have the full cooperation of the Department of Human Resources. The department’s Office of the Inspector General will also conduct its own internal investigation in partnership with the Maryland Office of the Attorney General.
We have instructed our contractor to bar this employee from working on behalf of the Baltimore City Office of Child Support Enforcement pending the results of the investigation.
As public servants, both state employees and private contractors working on behalf of the state have a special responsibility to the people of Maryland to execute our responsibilities with integrity and honor. If anyone has information about inappropriate or corrupt behavior by State employees, I encourage them to report it by calling 1-800-332-6347.”
