Overview
The Office of the Attorney General (OAG), led by Attorney General Anthony G. Brown, is Maryland's chief legal office. It litigates on behalf of the state, provides legal advice and counsel to the Governor and the General Assembly, and serves as in-house counsel to 40-plus state agencies (education, health, transportation, labor, and more). Its work is organized into divisions including Civil Litigation, Consumer Protection, the Criminal Division, Civil Rights, Antitrust, Securities, the Independent Investigations Division, and the Office of the Solicitor General.
For a technology seller, the OAG is best understood as a litigation- and data-intensive operation rather than a large infrastructure spender: the office runs case-management and document-management systems, performs eDiscovery across high-volume litigation, and — through the Consumer Protection Division — administers Maryland's data-breach notification and data-privacy regime (including the Maryland Online Data Privacy Act, with new requirements phasing in through 2026). That mix drives recurring demand for secure storage, data processing/eDiscovery capacity, endpoint refresh for attorneys and investigators, and cyber controls protecting sensitive case data.
The OAG is a relatively small agency by headcount, with roughly 404 authorized positions in FY2026 and a budget that is overwhelmingly personnel.
How this account buys
- OAG is not its own IT-procurement authority — it buys through Maryland's statewide vehicles rather than running a standalone RFP shop
- Maryland DoIT statewide IT contracts are the primary route for OAG endpoint and infrastructure buys — confirm Dell coverage
- DGS Office of State Procurement (OSP) handles broader, non-IT-classified competitive solicitations
- eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA) is where OAG-related RFPs (e.g., eDiscovery/case-management) get posted
- Fiscal pressure (FY2026 general-fund cut) favors pre-competed statewide contracts over bespoke procurements — lead with value, not custom builds
Where Dell Can Play
- Confirm Dell's position on Maryland DoIT statewide hardware and COTS contracts so OAG endpoint refresh (attorney/investigator laptops, workstations) and server buys flow through an existing vehicle.
- Lead with secure storage and data-management capacity for eDiscovery and case-management — the OAG's core, recurring data workload — and align to its document-management RFP cycle.
- Position cybersecurity and resilient backup for sensitive investigative, criminal, and consumer data, tied to Maryland's statewide cyber priorities and MODPA-driven privacy obligations.
- Map the OAG's IT/DevOps and division leadership (case-management owners, Consumer Protection) by name; engage early on storage/compute needs from criminal and independent-investigations digital evidence.
- Frame proposals around cost-efficiency and pre-competed contracts given FY2026 fiscal pressure — avoid bespoke procurements the office is unlikely to fund.
Budget & Fiscal
The OAG is a small, people-heavy agency — the budget is dominated by salaries for attorneys and investigators, so technology shows up as a modest contractual/operating slice rather than a large capital line. Figures below are from Maryland budget documents; treat the total as approximate and confirm against the current Fiscal Digest before forecasting.
~404
Authorized positions (FY2026)
Approx. 403.95 positions (regular + contractual) per FY2027 budget testimony
~87%
Personnel share
Budget is overwhelmingly salaries — typical of a legal office
-$1.8M
FY2026 GF reduction
General-fund allowance cut via statewide legislative reductions
- Funding is a mix of general funds plus special and federal funds tied to specific units (e.g., Medicaid Fraud, consumer/securities enforcement).
- Because ~87% is personnel, technology spend is a small share of the total — size opportunities to contractual services, refresh cycles, and data/eDiscovery capacity, not big infrastructure builds.
- Maryland faced broad fiscal pressure in the FY2026 cycle; expect cost scrutiny and a preference for pre-competed statewide contracts over new bespoke procurements.
Initiatives & Priorities
Case management & eDiscovery modernization
The OAG procures and operates case-management, document-management, and eDiscovery systems, and has posted manager-level roles overseeing development, vendor RFPs, and a DevOps team. This is the core data-and-storage workload — high-volume litigation drives demand for secure processing, review, and retention capacity.
eDiscovery Data ManagementData privacy & breach enforcement (MODPA)
Through Consumer Protection, the OAG administers Maryland's breach-notification regime and enforces the Maryland Online Data Privacy Act, with new processing requirements phasing in during 2026. More enforcement means more evidence/data to ingest, store, and analyze securely.
Consumer Protection PrivacyCybersecurity for sensitive case data
The office holds highly sensitive investigative, criminal, and consumer data, making endpoint security, secure storage, access controls, and resilient backup recurring needs — reinforced by Maryland's statewide push on cyber maturity.
Cybersecurity Data ProtectionCriminal & Independent Investigations workloads
The Criminal Division and Independent Investigations Division generate digital-evidence and forensic-data volumes (video, documents, device images) that need scalable storage and managed compute — an ISG-aligned opportunity.
Public Safety StorageProcurement
The OAG is not a standalone procurement authority for IT — it buys through Maryland's statewide vehicles. Selling here means being positioned on the right Department of Information Technology (DoIT) statewide contracts and the Department of General Services (DGS) Office of State Procurement vehicles, with solicitations posted on eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA).
| Vehicle / gate | What it means for Dell |
|---|---|
| Maryland DoIT statewide IT contracts | DoIT runs master/statewide contracts for hardware and COTS software (desktops, laptops, servers, networking, security tools, databases). The primary route for OAG endpoint and infrastructure buys — confirm Dell coverage and reseller positioning. |
| DGS Office of State Procurement | DGS OSP handles broader state procurement and competitive solicitations; larger services or non-IT-classified buys may route here rather than through DoIT. |
| eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA) | Statewide eProcurement portal where Maryland State, county, local, school, and university solicitations are posted — the place to watch for OAG-related RFPs (e.g., eDiscovery/case-management). |
| Cooperative contracts | Cooperative vehicles (e.g., MEEC for education, and national co-ops) can supplement statewide contracts for technology products and services; verify eligibility for a given OAG buy. |
Spend Signals
GovSpend · as of Sep 21, 2026Dell vs. competitors (spend, payee)
Expiring contracts (re-compete)
| Contract | Vendor | Expires |
|---|---|---|
| Veeam.COTS.2026 | Advanced Computer Concepts Inc | Jun 29, 2027 |
- Maryland's fiscal year runs Jul–Jun; window reflects FY2023–FY2025 PO issue dates (2022-07-01 to 2025-06-30).
- OAG is a small agency — total identifiable IT-reseller spend in GovSpend for this window is under $1M, consistent with a personnel-heavy budget and no large infrastructure buys; this is a plausible true result, not a data gap.
- Brand/product-level footprint (Dell, Cisco, HPE, Lenovo, Apple) could not be sourced: OAG's PO line items are recorded as generic categories or invoice references (e.g., "MICROSOFT SUITE 1 YR SUBSCRIPTION", "DESKTOPS, LAPTOPS, RUGGEDIZED LAPTOPS...") rather than itemized product text, confirmed by sampling; no line item anywhere mentions dell/cisco/hpe/lenovo/apple even under fuzzy matching. dellFootprint and brandFootprint are omitted rather than reported as zero.
- LineItem.Category is empty for this agency, so a categories panel is omitted. No contracts with IT-relevant tags expire 2026-07-29 to 2027-01-31, and no open IT-relevant bids were found for this agency — both panels omitted.
- Excluded as vendor-name false positives (not IT spend): Apple Ford (auto dealership) and Tire Connection (tire shop), both caught by brand/vendor text matching; Hewlett Packard ($5,822, single line item) fell below the $100K reporting threshold.
- Bid and contract panels refreshed 2026-09-21 from GovSpend (agencyId 171263): 0 open bids due on or after 2026-09-21 and 1 contract ending on or after 2026-10-05 (two-week runway), IT-relevant only. agencyId 171263 resolved by lookup (exact match); no IT-relevant open bids (the only open solicitation is for legal counsel).
Power Structure
| Decision-maker | Why they matter |
|---|---|
| Anthony G. Brown Attorney General | Elected statewide; sets enforcement priorities (data privacy, consumer protection, civil rights). The top-of-house relationship and policy driver. |
| Carolyn A. Quattrocki Chief Deputy Attorney General (Governance & Litigation) | Senior operational leader under the AG (re-verified June 2026) — a key relationship for office-wide direction and resourcing. |
| Deputy Attorneys General Division leadership (four practice groups) | Carrie J. Williams (Community Safety & Public Resources), Zenita Wickham Hurley (Equity, Policy & Engagement), Sharon Stanley Merriweather (Health & Human Services, Education & Sustainability), and Leonard J. Howie III (Marketplace Support & Worker Protection) — owners of the workloads that drive eDiscovery and data needs (per 2026 Maryland Manual). |
| Christian E. Barrera / Peter V. Berns Chief of Staff / General Counsel | Office-level operational and legal leadership; the Chief of Staff is a practical entry point for administrative and resourcing questions (re-verified 2026). |
| OAG IT / case-management management Technology & eDiscovery operations | Manager-level IT/DevOps roles own case-management, document-management, and eDiscovery systems and prepare related RFPs — the technical buying center to map by name (names not publicly confirmed). |
| William D. Gruhn — Consumer Protection Division Division Chief; privacy & breach enforcement | Chief of the division that administers data-breach notifications and now enforces MODPA (enforcement live since April 1, 2026) — a unit whose growing caseload increases data-processing and storage demand. |
News & Signals
Sep 2026
Supreme Court declines to stay injunction against USPS mail-voting rule; AG Brown's coalition keeps it blocked through Nov. 3
On Sept. 14 the U.S. Supreme Court declined the Trump administration's request to stay the preliminary injunction blocking the U.S. Postal Service's mail voting rule, leaving the injunction in place through the Nov. 3 election. AG Brown, part of the multistate coalition challenging the rule, said the coalition's fight against it “isn't over,” signalling further litigation ahead. For a Dell SLG seller, the sustained multistate litigation posture keeps the OAG's litigation-support workloads elevated, reinforcing demand for case-management, eDiscovery, and secure-data infrastructure.
Sep 2026
AG Brown files amicus brief seeking to block ICE warrantless arrests in Maryland (Guzmán v. DHS)
The OAG filed an amicus brief in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland supporting a preliminary injunction against ICE warrantless arrests, citing nearly 7,000 such arrests since Jan 2025. It adds to the OAG's active federal-litigation docket alongside the DOJ Community Trust Act suit already on file. For a Dell SLG seller it reinforces the litigation/eDiscovery and case-data workload driving the office's technology needs.
Sep 2026
AG Brown co-leads $694M multistate settlement with subprime auto lender Credit Acceptance Corp
Maryland co-led (on the six-state Executive Committee) a 41-state settlement with Credit Acceptance Corporation providing $694M in cash and debt relief plus injunctive lending reforms, effective Nov 2, 2026. It underscores the sustained scale and data-intensity of the OAG's Consumer Protection enforcement workload (large multistate investigations, restitution administration). For a Dell SLG seller this reinforces demand tied to case-management/eDiscovery and analytics capacity behind high-volume multistate litigation.
Sep 2026
OAG to discontinue Hate Crimes Hotline and online reporting portal Sept 30; work shifts to United Way 211
The OAG announced its Hate Crimes Hotline and online reporting portal will be discontinued September 30 as a federal grant concludes, with non-criminal hate-bias incident reporting moving to a United Way of Central Maryland 211 program and dedicated webpage (pilot launching Oct 15 in six jurisdictions). This is a concrete retirement of an OAG-operated digital reporting system and its underlying data. For a Dell SLG seller it signals a reporting-platform sunset and data-transition moment relevant to case/records systems, data migration and the OAG's broader digital-services footprint.
Sep 2026
AG Brown joins 14-state + DC coalition opposing federal crypto 'Clarity Act' over threats to state enforcement authority
Brown joined a bipartisan coalition of 15 attorneys general in a letter to Senate Banking Committee leaders Scott and Warren urging revisions to the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act, warning it could preempt state securities-registration requirements and weaken states' ability to pursue cryptocurrency fraud (states have brought 330+ crypto anti-fraud actions since 2017). The move underscores the OAG's active defense of its consumer-protection and enforcement authority. For a Dell SLG seller, sustained fraud/enforcement activity tied to digital assets reinforces demand for the data, analytics, and secure case-handling infrastructure supporting the Consumer Protection Division.
Sep 2026
AG Brown joins all-state ~$150M multistate settlement with Mercedes-Benz over alleged diesel-emissions software
Maryland joined a settlement in which Mercedes-Benz agreed to pay roughly $150M across all states to resolve civil consumer- and environmental-protection claims that it used software to misrepresent diesel-emissions figures, with affected owners also receiving approved emissions-modification software, extended warranty coverage, and free compliance repairs (no admission of wrongdoing). It extends the Consumer Protection Division's sustained multistate-enforcement wave already tracked on file. For a Dell SLG seller, high-volume consumer-protection and multistate litigation reinforces the OAG's reliance on case-management, eDiscovery, and data-analytics infrastructure to manage large, document-intensive settlements.
Aug 2026
AG Brown joins two suits blocking federal effort to obtain CDLIS driver-records database
Brown joined a multistate coalition challenging FMCSA and DHS efforts to compile a database of commercial-driver records (names, DOBs, SSNs, license numbers) from CDLIS, alleging privacy-law violations and insufficient data-handling safeguards, and seeking an emergency order. It continues the AG's data-governance and privacy litigation streak. For a Dell SLG seller, it highlights Maryland's heightened sensitivity to data protection, access controls, and secure-data-handling — themes that shape how state agencies evaluate infrastructure, security, and data-platform purchases.
Aug 2026
AG Brown announces landmark up-to-$17.1B multistate Meta settlement; Maryland to receive up to $327M
Brown announced Maryland's share (up to $327M) of a landmark multistate youth-safety settlement with Meta that also resolves prior state claims tied to Meta's sharing of nonpublic user data. It underscores the AG's sustained tech-accountability and data-privacy enforcement posture alongside MODPA. For a Dell SLG seller, it reinforces Maryland's aggressive privacy/tech-oversight environment and a potential influx of settlement funds that could seed downstream state technology or child-safety initiatives.
Aug 2026
AG Brown sues UnitedHealth/Optum over defective Medicaid IT system, seeking ~$380M under False Claims Act
Brown filed suit in Baltimore City Circuit Court alleging Optum deployed an inadequately-tested subcontractor system for Maryland Medicaid's behavioral-health program that crashed on day one, went offline for eight months, and never functioned properly — seeking ~$380M (triple the $126.9M contract). For a Dell SLG seller, this is a marquee example of the state aggressively pursuing IT-vendor accountability for failed government systems, raising both the bar and the political appetite for vetted, reliable modernization vendors. It signals procurement scrutiny and openings where incumbent systems have failed.
Jul 2026
DOJ sues Maryland and AG Brown over the Community Trust Act sanctuary-policy law (filed July 10, 2026)
The Justice Department's suit claims the 2026 law — which bars state/local police from detaining or transferring undocumented immigrants to ICE without a judicial warrant and restricts sharing of immigration-status information — is preempted and unconstitutional; Brown countered on July 14 that it only governs how Maryland's own law-enforcement resources are used, invoking 10th Amendment anti-commandeering doctrine. A high-profile federal challenge adds to OAG's active litigation docket — reinforcing the office's recurring eDiscovery, document-review, and secure-storage workload.
Jun 2026
AG Brown wins uncontested Democratic primary (June 23); advances to Nov 3 general vs. Republican James B. (Jim) Rutledge III
Signals likely leadership continuity into a second term for a heavily favored incumbent in a Democratic-leaning state — the top-of-house relationship and enforcement priorities (privacy, consumer protection) should stay stable; no near-term turnover to reset account plans around.
Jun 2026
Sustained multistate enforcement wave: $3.3M egg price-fixing settlement (June), $700M Google Play Store antitrust final approval (May), and a securities consent order with Middle Class United (May 22)
A steady cadence of high-volume, multistate litigation reinforces the OAG's core eDiscovery, document-review, and secure-storage workload — the recurring data conversation, not a one-off.
Apr 2026
MODPA enforcement goes live (April 1, 2026); Brown flags limited privacy staffing (reportedly ~1 dedicated attorney)
Consumer Protection can now investigate and penalize privacy violations, growing the evidence/data it must ingest and secure — while acknowledged staffing constraints point to appetite for automation and efficient data-processing/eDiscovery tooling.
Mar 2026
AG Brown joins coalition opposing federal SECURE Data Act that would preempt state privacy laws
Signals the OAG intends to keep enforcing Maryland's own privacy regime — privacy/cyber workloads stay central rather than shrinking.
Jan 2026
FY2026 budget reflects ~$1.8M general-fund reduction amid statewide fiscal pressure
Expect cost scrutiny and preference for pre-competed statewide contracts — lead with value and existing vehicles, not bespoke builds.
Sources
- Maryland OAG — About the Office (divisions & leadership)
- Maryland DBM — FY2027 Budget Testimony, C81C00 Office of the Attorney General
- Maryland General Assembly — FY2026 Operating Budget Analysis, C81C Office of the Attorney General
- Maryland OAG — Security Breach Notices (consumer protection / data privacy)
- Maryland Manual On-Line — Office of the Attorney General (2026 leadership roster)
- Ballotpedia — Maryland Attorney General election, 2026
- NBC News — Maryland Attorney General Primary 2026 results (Brown, Rutledge III uncontested)
- Maryland OAG News — Multistate coalition egg price-fixing settlement (2026)
- Maryland OAG — AG Brown Opposes Federal Legislation Weakening State Privacy Protections
- Maryland DoIT — Statewide IT Contracts & Procurement
- Maryland Procurement — eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA)
- Washington Times — Maryland attorney general defends sanctuary immigration law against federal challenge
- MoCo Show — Maryland Attorney General Sues Over Trump Administration Demand for Driver Records
- Maryland Office of the Attorney General — Attorney General Brown Announces Settlement with Big Tech Giant Meta
- CBS News Baltimore — Maryland sues UnitedHealth Group and Optum Inc. over defective Medicaid computer system
- NewsBreak — Every Single State Just Reached a $150 Million Settlement With a Luxury Automaker Over Emissions
- Nottingham MD — Maryland attorney general opposes crypto bill, warns of limits on state enforcement
- The MoCo Show — Maryland to Discontinue Hate Crimes Hotline as New Reporting Program Launches
- Maryland OAG — Attorney General Brown Co-Leads $694 Million Multistate Settlement with Subprime Auto Lender Credit Acceptance Corporation
- Maryland OAG (via NewsBreak) — Attorney General Brown Files Brief Defending Against ICE's Unlawful Warrantless Arrests in Maryland
- Office of the Attorney General of Maryland — STATEMENT: Attorney General Brown on U.S. Supreme Court Decision Preserving Preliminary Injunction Against USPS Vote-by-Mail Rule