March 15th, 2021 by WCBC Radio
Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot is calling for a bipartisan commission to audit state and federal money spent on COVID-19 relief. Maryland is due to receive more than $12.5 billion under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which President Joe Biden signed into law on Thursday. Half of that will come in the form of direct payments to Marylanders. The other half will go to the state government and local government to help fund emergency services, vaccine distribution and other initiatives. That is in addition to billions in state and federal aid doled out to Marylanders and state and local governments over the past year. During the regular meeting of the Board of Public Works, Franchot said that with so much money headed Maryland's way, accountability is necessary. He is asking lawmakers to appoint a bipartisan, independent commission of fiscal experts and give them subpoena power and staff "fully investigate" and account for the money spent.
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