Solicitor: Phone Spending Doesn't Violate Law

BALTIMORE (AP) -- The city solicitor says spending on telephone and network equipment and services was not unusual and didn't violate law.

Solicitor George Nilson responded to the mayor's request to determine the legality of the spending under two contracts without the comptroller's approval in a memo obtained Friday by The Associated Press.

City Comptroller Joan Pratt raised concerns about purchases of Voice over Internet Protocol phones and equipment from Digicon Corp. because more than two dozen company employees work as consultants in the mayor's information technology office. Pratt accused the mayor of trying to take the project from her office and avoid competitive bidding requirements.

The solicitor, who is appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the council, says no one office has exclusive power to requisition telephones, related equipment or services.

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)