New Details Into Alleged Document Shredding in Baltimore Comptroller's Office

BALTIMORE (WBFF) — Fox45 has learned new details about the alleged illegal shredding of documents in Baltimore City comptroller Joan Pratt’s office last week while the office is under federal investigation.

As Fox45 first reported last Friday, an ex-employee in the Baltimore City Comptroller’s Office was allegedly shredding documents at City Hall, according to an email reviewed by FOX45 News.

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In the email, the Law Department advised the Comptroller’s Office to stop shredding documents during an active federal investigation. The source of the email requested the verbatim text of the email be kept confidential.

That email was sent at 11:06 Friday morning.

Fox45 News has learned Pratt responded to the email at 1:52 that afternoon with a short reply, simply saying “I acknowledge receipt. Thank you very much.”

A source close to the office also tells us the ex-employee was also at City Hall in the comptroller’s office the day before.

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division is currently investigating Pratt’s office, a department spokeswoman told FOX45 News Friday.

We do not know the specifics of the investigation.

“The matter falls into the jurisdiction of the Department’s Wage and Hour Division. The Department does not comment on an investigation," the Department of Labor spokeswoman said in a statement.

“Typically when there’s a federal or even a state investigation, it’s secret,” says attorney Andrea Smith. She’s a former federal prosecutor who now works with the firm Silverman Thompson Slutkin & White. “What strikes me is obviously there’s someone on the inside. How else would they have known that document shredding is going on?”

“The Labor Department and the feds are going to have primary jurisdiction over this, whether it’s interviewing witnesses,” says Thiru Vignarajah, a former federal prosecutor and former deputy attorney general. “We need to get to the bottom of what documents were destroyed? For what purpose? On who’s authority?"

Vignarajah says while we don’t know the details this is likely a civil investigation, but could now be more.

“Once you start shredding documents, it’s no longer a civil investigation under federal law. When there’s a civil investigation or a criminal investigation, if you are interfering with an active investigation that is potentail criminal exposure,” he says.

Baltimore City’s record retention policy requires elected offices to receive permission from the Maryland State Archivist before destroying documents.

In late June, the Comptroller’s Office was reminded of this policy via a citywide email sent by Acting City Solicitor Dana Moore.

“Please do not hesitate to call or email with questions as they arise. The Law Department is reachable at all times. We are happy to help,” Moore’s email said.

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Fox45 has reached out to all city council members and city council president and democratic mayoral nominee Brandon Scott about this. We have heard back from only one, councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke. She told us no comment.