County rejected some of Sheriff Bateman’s expenses from Seattle conference trip
Anne Arundel County rejected a request by Sheriff Ron Bateman to be reimbursed for two meals for a second person while he was traveling to Seattle last year for a professional conference, according to county procurement records obtained through a Public Information Act request.
The Capital sought records of Bateman’s procurement card expenses dating back two years in light of his April 10 arrest in a domestic dispute with his wife, in which he was charged with one count of second-degree assault.
The same records were requested of other elected officials in the county, including the county executive, the state’s attorney, the register of wills, the clerk of the Circuit Court, the chief judge and all seven members of the County Council.
The county maintains a portion of the records for Bateman, State’s Attorney Wes Adams and Chief Judge Nancy Phelps. Their offices responded with the remainder of those records.
The county did not reject requests for reimbursement from other county officials, said county spokesman Owen McEvoy.
Bateman traveled to Seattle last year to attend the FBI National Academy Annual Training Conference and Exhibition, held July 11-14. He brought his wife on the trip as a “belated honeymoon,” according to posts on her Facebook page.
A trial date has been set for Sheriff Ron Bateman on a second-degree assault charge stemming from a domestic dispute with his wife last month in Pasadena.
The trial is scheduled for 8:45 a.m. on July 18 at the Glen Burnie District courthouse, online court records show.
Bateman’s attorney, Peter…
A trial date has been set for Sheriff Ron Bateman on a second-degree assault charge stemming from a domestic dispute with his wife last month in Pasadena.
The trial is scheduled for 8:45 a.m. on July 18 at the Glen Burnie District courthouse, online court records show.
Bateman’s attorney, Peter…
(Lauren Loricchio)
He sought to be reimbursed for the full amount of two bills, the first paid for on July 10, at Morton’s The Steakhouse of $169.33 for oysters on the half shell, rib eye steak, lobster tail, grilled asparagus and au gratin potatoes, and the second on July 11 at a Chandler’s Crabhouse for $163.30. The receipt for the crabhouse meal doesn’t detail what was purchased.
Bateman’s wife, Elsie Bateman, checked in at both restaurants on her Facebook page.
In one of the posts she writes: “hubby is back from training and surprised me with a dinner at (Chandler’s Crabhouse) on Union Lake. I’ve never had (Dungeness) and Alaskan crabs.”
Anne Arundel County Sheriff Ron Bateman checked in a hunted turkey with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources on April 21, a spokeswoman confirmed Monday.
This came about a week and a half after county police confiscated a number of guns from Bateman’s home following his April 10 arrest…
Anne Arundel County Sheriff Ron Bateman checked in a hunted turkey with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources on April 21, a spokeswoman confirmed Monday.
This came about a week and a half after county police confiscated a number of guns from Bateman’s home following his April 10 arrest…
(Lauren Loricchio)
Procurement records show Bateman was reimbursed for five nights in the Seattle Sheraton Hotel from July 10-14 at a cost of $197 a night, with the total bill coming to $1,148.65.
The Anne Arundel County Office of Finance, which approves reimbursement of expenses, wrote in an August 31 message regarding the request: “Originally his request was for reimbursement for (two) people at (two) of the meals. If a county employee is paying for two they must both be county employees.”
The office asked Bateman to name the county employee whose meal was paid for. He modified his request asking to be compensated for half of the bill, receipts show.
County travel policy states that employees can be reimbursed for meals of a “reasonable cost” if the employee is required to work more than two hours after the employee’s normal work assignment and it is impractical for the employee to go home for a meal.
McEvoy said county employees generally know the rules when it comes to seeking reimbursement for expenses, though many don’t often travel out of state for conferences. That is generally reserved for department heads, he said.
“We take spending tax payer dollars very seriously, which is why we scrutinized this situation very carefully,” McEvoy said.
County controller Julie Mussog said procurement reimbursement requests are rejected “almost never,” according to McEvoy.
The county changed its reimbursement policy as a result of the incident, he said, and has established a maximum for reimbursement of expenses.
The maximum meal rates are now $9 for breakfast, $11 for lunch and $25 for dinner.
When an elected official tries to evade procurement rules, it raises “red flags” and issues of “accountability,” said Jennifer Bevan-Dangel, executive director of watchdog group Common Cause Maryland.
“There’s no public benefit when an elected official spends public funds on personal expenses,” Bevan-Dangel said.
Bateman did not return phone calls seeking comment for this article. Acting Sheriff Col. Rick Tabor said in an email that Bateman’s attendance at the conference was “consistent with normal county travel protocol.”
Tabor said the expenses were reviewed and approved by the county budget office.
“There were no expenses pertaining to Mrs. Bateman purposely submitted for reimbursement,” he said.
County officials, including Schuh, state Sen. Ed Reilly and Republican Central Committee Chairman Nathan Volke issued a statement after 911 tapes and police documents were released from Bateman’s arrest this spring calling for Bateman’s resignation. Police reported seeing injuries on Elsie Bateman after the alleged assault.
“While everyone should be afforded their day in court, we hold our elected officials, especially ones in law enforcement roles, to a higher standard. This criminal case threatens the public trust in the Office of Anne Arundel County Sheriff, and compromises Mr. Bateman’s ability to administer the Sheriff’s Office,” the statement said.
Bateman, who has returned to work in an administrative capacity, has said no “criminal actions took place.” His wife has called the incident “nothing more than a heated argument between a husband and a wife.”
Bateman has said he will not resign and plans to run for reelection in 2018.
A trial has been scheduled for July 18, online court records show.
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