Richmond Inspector General James Osuna’s office published Monday the results of an investigation into allegations of misconduct in the city’s Office of Elections.
According to the report, all but one of the 26 claims investigated were substantiated.
The majority of the claims involve General Registrar Keith Balmer or Deputy General Registrar Jerry Richardson, and outline nearly $500,000 in misused city funds.
The report runs through a list of the allegations, providing detailed descriptions and evidence supporting or refuting them. Its release comes after a Human Resources investigation earlier this year which found the office was hiring Balmer’s family members.
Substantiated claims in the IG’s report include: ignoring procurement and bidding processes for furniture, artwork, security services and more; unauthorized uses of city funds, including paying the college tuition of two employees; payment to Balmer’s spouse for consulting on a training video; and failures to properly report allegations of domestic violence and workplace harassment from office employees.
Several of the claims revolve around security services — chief among them the hiring of a security service without a proper procurement process, despite the fact that the city already had a security service under contract.
The report says the service included a personal security detail, justified by alleged threats against the office, “a general nationwide attitude towards election officials,” and the actions of former employees. However, the threats were never reported to Richmond Police.
The IG’s report says Balmer claimed the decision to secure personal protective services was spurred by a former employee attending the Feb. 13, 2024, meeting of the local electoral board.
However, the contract for those services was dated Jan. 30, 2024.
In all, the office spent over $200,000 on the security service between January and May 2024.
In another instance, the office contracted a private security company to investigate possible election interference by former office employees. According to the director of the security company, Balmer said the city attorney approved it — but the city attorney was not consulted. According to the IG’s report, Balmer denies that he made that claim.
Under state law, such an investigation is the responsibility of Commonwealth’s Attorney Colette McEachin. But Balmer “took it upon himself to use city funds to initiate a private investigation,” according to the report.
The report claims the security company also invoiced the city for alcoholic beverages purchased during work hours.
Prior to the security company being retained, a city purchasing card was used to buy a firearm and security equipment, which were then used by an unauthorized temporary employee acting as a security guard.
Balmer and others also appear to have used excessive funds to decorate the office, from a $7,585 furniture order from LaDiff to a $7,500 payment to VCU Arts students for a mural with no procurement process.
One claim, that Balmer had purchased a Ford Explorer and removed Office of Elections decals without permission, was refuted. City records show both the purchase and removal of decals — for security purposes — were documented and approved.
However, Balmer did not complete necessary forms before using a city vehicle for personal business — constituting waste of city resources, according to the IG’s report.
A written statement from Richmond City Council called on the local electoral board to review the report.
“In doing so, the Board must take on their direct oversight responsibility of the Director of Elections/General Registrar in order to maintain trust in the electoral system,” the statement reads.
The next board meeting is scheduled for Dec. 4.
Balmer and the Office of Elections did not respond to a request for comment by deadline.
