Rawlings-Blake Accused Of Illegal Phone Purpose

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Baltimore's comptroller is accusing the mayor and the city's former information technology director of illegally buying $659,000 in video phones.

The Baltimore Sun reports Comptroller Joan Pratt made the accusations Wednesday at a Board of Estimates meeting. She noted former Information Technology Director Rico Singleton resigned following revelations of procurement violations in a previous job in New York state government.

Pratt told the mayor that the purchase never went before the board and infringed on her authority. Mayor Stephanie
Rawlings-Blake responded that the information technology office has saved the city money. City Solicitor George Nilson says he doesn't believe anything illegal was done but will review the purchase.

A spokesman for the mayor says the issue has not been raised previously and she was still trying to get details.

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