Kelly Beckham Madigan has been appointed the first executive director for the newly created Baltimore County Office of Ethics and Accountability,Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. announced Thursday.
Olszewski formed the Office of Ethics and Accountability earlier this year in an effort to provide increased oversight of county government by working to identify fraud, abuse or illegal acts. The independent office will have autonomy from the county executive and county council and have unrestricted access to records and information to fully investigate claims of misconduct.
Madigan is currently the deputy state prosecutor for the Maryland Office of the State Prosecutor, where she investigates and prosecutes public corruption, bribery, misconduct and election law crimes, according to a news release.
Her appointment as executive director must be approved by the County Council. If confirmed, she will serve a five-year term, and would serve an additional four years if appointed for a second term, county law shows.
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"Kelly brings a wealth of experience in litigation, deep professional integrity, and a passion for government accountability,” Olszewski said in a released statement. “I’m confident that she will help ensure that our government is held to the highest standards.”
If approved she will receive a salary of $145,000, county spokesman Sean Naron said.
Under Madigan, the ethics office will publish a yearly report documenting investigations and efforts throughout the year. She will also serve as Executive Director of the Ethics Commission, which will become an independent entity. It previously fell under the Baltimore County Office of Law.
Madigan released a statement saying she’s “honored" to join the county administration’s “innovative efforts to expand government accountability."
“The people of Baltimore County deserve to have the utmost faith in their government and I’m committed creating an independent watchdog to ensure that residents can feel confident that their public officials are held to the highest standards,” Madigan said.
Madigan served as acting state prosecutor from August 2019 until November 2019 following the retirement of former State Prosecutor Emmet Davitt. She previously was an assistant state’s attorney for 11 years in the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office, including two years as a supervising attorney. She is a graduate of the University of Michigan and University of Baltimore School of Law, where she graduated magna cum laude.