Investigation Finds Nearly $500,000 in Waste, Fraud, and Abuse in Richmond Elections Office

An investigation into allegations of misuse of public resources by Richmond General Registrar Keith Balmer and his office has confirmed 25 of 26 claims of waste, fraud, and abuse, leading to nearly $500,000 in wasted taxpayer funds, according to a report released this week by the city’s inspector general.

The city of Richmond’s Office of Elections (Anna West/Capital News Service)

The city council is now calling on the Richmond Electoral Board to review the findings and issue a response.

“Richmond City Council strives to ensure that taxpayer resources are used in an efficient and effective manner. The Richmond Office of Inspector General’s findings of the use of public resources in the Richmond Office of Elections raises serious concerns,” the council said in a joint statement.

Richmond’s Inspector General James Osuna launched the probe in May after one of his investigators contacted the Department of Elections last year to seek assistance with complaints from a former employee of Balmer.

According to documents obtained by The Mercury earlier this year through a Freedom of Information Act request, the employee had shared unverified allegations of management issues, including “hiring family and friends,” questionable spending, and other concerns within the Richmond election office.

Osuna declined to comment for this story, and Balmer did not respond to phone calls and emails. 

Keith Balmer, General Registrar of the City of Richmond. (Courtesy of Keith Balmer)

City officials initially believed the State Board of Elections should address the complaints due to its statewide oversight of registrars. However, state officials determined the matter was a local issue, because the allegations did not directly involve election policy or voting.

Claims of nepotism in the Richmond election office had surfaced publicly on another occasion. Earlier this year, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that Balmer hired his brother and paid $2,300 to his wife’s company for training election workers on accommodating voters with disabilities.

Osuna’s investigation confirmed that Balmer violated procurement policies and misused government resources by hiring a security company between January and May without proper authorization.

Originally contracted to provide a $50-per-hour security guard for early voting, the agreement expanded to include personal protection services at $85 per hour, emergency training, and equipment purchases.

In total, the company billed the city more than $200,000, depleting the Office of Elections’ budget and prompting Balmer to seek additional funding from Richmond City Council.

Osuna also found that Balmer misused public funds by hiring a private security firm to investigate alleged election interference, violating Virginia law. The registrar allegedly authorized the firm to probe claims that two former employees tried to discourage election officers from participating in future elections, costing the city more than $4,400 for services like background checks and evidence review.

Balmer falsely claimed that the city attorney had approved the investigation, but it was later determined that the latter had not been consulted. He also bypassed law enforcement and other relevant authorities, using city funds for a private investigation instead.

Between August and November 2023, Balmer violated procurement policies by approving a remodel of a leased building without following required bidding procedures, the investigation found.

The project, which included carpet and flooring replacement, wall repairs, electrical work and a remodeled bathroom, was done using a contractor preferred by the landlord, bypassing the necessary competitive bidding process.

Despite the city’s lease agreement, which places maintenance responsibility on the landlord, Balmer approved the project without proper documentation, including quotes from multiple vendors, Osuna wrote.

The work was divided into 21 separate purchase orders, each under the $50,000 threshold to avoid triggering a competitive bidding requirement, totaling $229,969. This strategy violated city policies governing small purchases and split purchases.

The remodel was done without the landlord’s approval or building permits, and the project cost exceeded the amount allowed for non-competitive bidding. The Deputy General Registrar, who oversees the budget, was unaware of the total cost of the work, the investigation found.

On July 5, 2023, Balmer failed to report a workplace domestic violence incident involving two city employees, the probe confirmed. The incident occurred at the annual Voter Registrars Association of Virginia Conference, where one temporary employee was arrested for domestic assault against their partner, a full-time city employee.

Upon returning from the conference, the victim was unreachable, prompting a welfare check. The Office of Elections received notice of the incident, and the Employee Relations manager reached out to Balmer for assistance.

Despite Balmer’s awareness of the situation — which included prior reports of domestic conflict in the workplace — he did not take action, as required under the city code, Osuna found. Instead, he pressured the assaulted employee to resign, claiming safety concerns, without consulting Human Resources or the city attorney, which led to the alleged victim being denied unemployment benefits.

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Balmer also violated city regulations by spending $7,500 to hire three Virginia Commonwealth University students to paint murals in the lobby of a city-leased facility and by purchasing more than $8,700 worth of artwork without proper authorization, according to the investigation.

The murals, completed between February and December of last year, were paid for using invoice payment forms, with each student receiving $2,500. Additionally, Balmer used a government P-Card to buy 12 art pieces from a local art center, with prices ranging from $175 to $1,800. None of the purchases followed the required Department of Procurement Services (DPS) procedures for exempted artwork.

One allegation claimed that Balmer improperly purchased a Ford Explorer for the Office of Elections in February 2023 without Fleet Management authorization and removed city logos from the vehicle in violation of policy.

However, the investigation confirmed that the purchase followed proper city procedures, and the city’s fleet manager approved the removal of the logos at the General Registrar’s request due to safety concerns.

But Balmer still violated city policies when he used a city vehicle for personal errands, transporting non-city personnel, and as a take-home vehicle without authorization, according to the investigation.

Balmer assumed control of the Richmond election office after former registrar Kirk Showalter was removed in 2021, partly due to pressure from the Democratic Party of Virginia. While the Richmond Electoral Board is now under Republican control following Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s 2021 victory, the shift in power did not affect Balmer’s position.

by Markus Schmidt, Virginia Mercury

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