Baltimore cancels Texas trip for indicted city employee after initial approval

Baltimore city officials have canceled a taxpayer-funded trip to a Texas business conference for a senior employee indicted in a pandemic relief fraud case, according to The Baltimore Sun.

The city's Board of Estimates had initially approved spending $2,751 to send Kara DiPietro, a senior official in the Department of General Services’ Fleet Management division, to the conference. This approval came one day after federal prosecutors publicly announced her indictment for allegedly defrauding a pandemic relief program of more than $2.5 million.

Following public scrutiny, the mayor’s office reversed the decision, stating that DiPietro will not attend the conference and that the city will be reimbursed for the conference cost, a spokesperson for the mayor told The Baltimore Sun.

The incident has raised questions about the city’s process for reviewing spending requests, with a taxpayer watchdog highlighting potential broader issues in oversight.

Mayor Brandon Scott’s administration has not detailed further actions taken since the indictment became public.

The situation remains under observation as the city addresses concerns about fiscal oversight and accountability.