Mayor Discusses Baltimore Gambling Bust
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- City workers gambled on taxpayer time. Now police are releasing new details about the bust and the mayor reacts to the charges that have taxpayers outraged.
Adam May has the latest.
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake says she's happy about the bust and encourages more city employees to report corruption.
Thirteen city workers were throwing dice and there was $6,300 in cash and a bottle of champagne. That's what police say they discovered inside a transportation building on East Madison Street Friday.
"It's not a serious charge, gambling, but it says a lot about people's trust in the city," said Anthony Guglielmi, Baltimore City Police.
Following the conviction of former Mayor Sheila Dixon for misusing gift cards, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake established a new program that rewards whistleblowers who report taxpayer waste to a new inspector general. He oversaw the gambling investigation.
"It's important for me to assure the public we're doing the right thing with taxpayers and this was clearly not the right thing," Rawlings-Blake said.
"That's, as far as I'm concerned, my hard-earned money," said one person.
"It's unbelievable, very unbelievable," said another.
Some say the mayor should reduce the city workforce even further than she already has.
"We have some city employees that were not doing what they're supposed to do," Rawlings-Blake said. "It bothers me because we have so many people that are making sacrifices that work for the city to have a few bad apples taint the work of many good people."
The 13 workers face misdemeanor charges. One of them also faces assault charges for shoving an agent during the raid.
The workers were part of a team that helps set up for parades, festivals and other special events.
