After Scandals, Md. County Launches Ethics Office

A four-person team has been enlisted to keep an eye on ethics and accountability within Prince George's County government. 

County Executive Rushern Baker had promised the county an accountability and ethics office during his campaign, just after former county executive Jack Johnson and his wife were arrested on federal "pay to play" charges.

The office is being led by attorney and long-time education advocate Robin Barns-Shell with a budget of $350,000.

“We want to make information available and clear about how to deal with unethical behavior," Barns-Shell told News4.

The team is tasked with investigating reports of fraud, abuse and illegal acts within the county's government. News4 spoke with Oreadea Treadwell, a former health department employee fired several months after claiming her supervisor had sexually harassed her and aggressively pursued her for years. 

"You really don't know who to talk to, who to call because you don't know who you can trust," Treadwell said. 

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