Mayor of Baltimore charged with perjury, corruption
posted at 5:15 pm on January 9, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
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Move over, Kwame Kilpatrick — you’ve got company among disgraced big-city mayors. Sheila Dixon got indicted today on twelve felony counts, including perjury, theft, and misconduct in office. Maryland state prosecutors accused the Baltimore Democrat of a particularly heinous theft of donated gift cards intended for the poor:
Mayor Sheila Dixon was indicted Friday on charges that she accepted illegal gifts during her time as mayor and City Council president, including travel, fur coats and gift cards intended for the poor that she allegedly used instead for a holiday shopping spree.
A grand jury indicted Dixon on 12 counts, including four counts of perjury and two counts of theft over $500. She was also charged with theft under $500, fraudulent misappropriation by a fiduciary and misconduct in office.
The State Prosecutor’s Office, which has been investigating corruption at City Hall for nearly three years, said Dixon received holiday gift cards for four years from several people. Prosecutors said the gift cards were to be distributed to needy families, but were instead used by Dixon to buy electronics _ including an Xbox, a PlayStation 2 and a camcorder _ clothes and other merchandise and also handed out to members of her staff.
Most of the charges involve her relationship with a developer, Ronald Lipscomb, and her acceptance of thousands of dollars in gifts without disclosing them on her records. She allegedly used a city employee to launder $4,000 from Lipscomb to fund a shopping spree. Dixon and Lipscomb conducted an affair with each other while married to others, and at the same time, Lipscomb’s company did business with the city, receiving tax breaks from Baltimore for some of their projects.
The worst allegations involve the gift cards. Dixon allegedly received several of these cards, which were given to her to pass along to needy people. Instead, Dixon allegedly decided that charity begins at home and used them as gifts for friends and family, or for herself. When her home was searched, several of the cards were found still unused by Dixon, given to her by Lipscomb, who apparently designated them as a charitable donation. Another developer gave her 20 such Best Buy cards, worth $25 each, and Dixon used 19 of them for herself.
Dixon never mentioned the gift cards on her disclosure statements. Since those get signed under oath, her signatures on those forms with the omissions of the cards would amount to perjury. That would almost certainly bring serious prison time, if Dixon gets convicted — and it’s hard to imagine that she will get much sympathy from a jury after stealing gift cards from the poor.
For Name That Party aficianados, the Washington Post does indeed mention that Dixon is a Democrat, in the sixth paragraph of the story.
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Did I hear somewhere that she is a DEMOCRAT? Ohhhhhhhh Naaaaaancy, you’ve got some explaining to do!
ctmom on January 9, 2009 at 8:18 PM
highhopes on January 9, 2009 at 8:12 PM
Your points are well taken and accurate. However, it’s important (at least to me) that the MSM recognizes the fact that we (the people) are aware that if this woman was a Republican, the “R” would be mentioned several times in the report. This we have witnessed on numerous occasions. It’s the double standard that is the story here rather than the fact that another Democrat has been busted in a corruption scandal.
Keemo on January 9, 2009 at 8:20 PM
I’ve come up with a easy answer. If there is no mention of affiliation in a corruption story in the headlines then it is a Democrat.
If it is a positive story (like that ever happens) and no mention of affiliation, I know it is a Republican.
The MSM has become way too predictable.
Corsair on January 9, 2009 at 8:37 PM
Fair points but the story here, IMO, is not the party affiliation of the criminal but the fact that yet another politician has been busted for blatant corruption. Senators, Congressmen, Governors, Mayors, etc….. party affiliation doesn’t matter. We more likely than not are being dictated to by a political class where corruption is running rampant.
Again IMO, it’s time for real hope and change and that means voting all the filthy bastards out of office at whatever level of government they operate. Since the GOP seems incapable of growing a spine, I’d suggest it is time for forming a new party (much the circumstances that formed the GOP) to challenge the wing of the party that McCain and others willfully threw away in 2006 and 2008.
highhopes on January 9, 2009 at 9:06 PM
Especially since this particular convicted felon-to-be had her daddy’s old job. Daddy Pelosi was even more corrupt so the fun would be in the justification for using gift cards meant for the poor as Christmas presents.
highhopes on January 9, 2009 at 9:10 PM
she has the get-out-of-jail-free card.
notagool on January 9, 2009 at 9:11 PM
You’ve also got to factor in the “hypocrisy factor.” Republicans, not Democrats, have ever gone on the record as saying corruption is wrong. Look at the way William Jefferson was protected by the Democrats for three years after being caught with marked FBI money in his freezer. Look at the way the filthy bastard who is about to get the Presidency sees nothing wrong with starting his political career in the home of a terrorist! Republicans could never get away with these facts because they have higher standards.
highhopes on January 9, 2009 at 9:14 PM
David Simon of The Wire must be shaking his head in shame.
Lance Murdock on January 9, 2009 at 9:23 PM
Another proud democrap doing what democraps do best.
Zorro on January 9, 2009 at 9:28 PM
Speaking of doing the best………walked into a McDonald’s early evening and when I walked around the corner to go to the counter there were all black customers standing in line and the black manager was standing in the back of all of them and they ended up getting bags of food and I did not witness ANY type of transaction that involved money. Every one was having a great time! Wonder if the owner of that McDonald’s really checks the “wasted food” report. The woman Manager sure was happy to provide. Curious what I did? Stood in line and paid for our food. Momma raised me with some class.
Coastal Paradise on January 9, 2009 at 9:54 PM
I make sure to point out to people that if you don’t see the party affiliation in the headline and/or the leading paragraph, the alleged perpetrator is a Democrat.
So far, I have not been proven wrong.
AZfederalist on January 9, 2009 at 10:00 PM
To be honest, as a resident of Maryland, I thought she was going to dodge the bullet, sure others would take the fall. But her?….
But… when I got out of work tonight and heard from dad that she was indited.. I think I was ready to throw a party! For another reason also… recently, she and the city council of Baltimore City were caught trying to sneak in pay raises, and after first causing a public controversy by saying she was keeping the money, she decided to donate the money after advisers suggested otherwise…
Reason Number 2. Her Defense lawyer complained that “this investigation has gone on longer than some for gitmo detainees!”
my reply…. GOOD!!!!
Oh side note… GO RAVENS!
Razgriez on January 9, 2009 at 10:23 PM
That’s not the Sheila Dixon I knew.
Wasn’t Pelosi’s brother mayor of Baltimore at one time ?
JonRoss on January 9, 2009 at 10:40 PM
What you describe is in fact going to be the official domestic economic system to be installed on January 20th.
JonRoss on January 9, 2009 at 10:46 PM
Very true, Baltimore is a one party town. I’m disappointed to see her get accused of this. As with the Blago scandal, I’m concerned that there is no presumption of innocence for anyone when they are accused of wrongdoing. I realize that may sound naive here on HA. I “hope” Mayor Dixon isn’t guilty of these things, but given politics in Baltimore it won’t be a huge surprise if she is. I think in any city or state where one party dominates, it’s much more likely that there will be more corruption.
I doubt Steele will run for any office again in Maryland. That’s another reason why I’d like to see him as RNC Chair, as I think he can have a greater impact on the national scene.
And as far as who could win on a R ticket as mayor of Balmer, I think Cal Ripken might have the best chance. Seeing as politics seems to be increasingly about star power and appearance, why not?
Red State State of Mind on January 9, 2009 at 11:04 PM
I think her father and her brother have both been mayors of Baltimore.
Red State State of Mind on January 9, 2009 at 11:07 PM
The Year of the Liberal
All the World is their Stage,
and one by one they fall,to
corruption!
“It Just Might Take a Woman to Clean The House”
of Corruption,’Speaker of the House’,'Nancy Pelosi’!
canopfor on January 9, 2009 at 11:37 PM
Dude, I was totally kidding, I swear.
Jaibones on January 10, 2009 at 12:16 AM
Gee, they never mentioned party affliation.
I wonder why?
RobCon on January 10, 2009 at 12:16 AM
Yeah! By the way, what part of Africa did the names Blagojevich, Daley, Madigan, Reid, Pelosi, Frank and Durbin come from?
Jaibones on January 10, 2009 at 12:20 AM
Where’s McNulty when you need him?
madne0 on January 10, 2009 at 1:44 AM
The Six Degrees of “Democrat” Separation;
http://conservativewomenunited.blogspot.com/2009/01/six-degrees-of-democrat-separation.html
Done That on January 10, 2009 at 7:08 AM
I beg to differ. A Baltimore jury of her “peers” will fully understand that their righteous sista was just getting her fair share from The Man. They’ll probably give her a parade and re-elect her (see, e.g., Marion Barry, Ray Nagin, etc.).
AZCoyote on January 10, 2009 at 8:45 AM
Another democrat caught lying and stealing.
When are we going to start seeing the MSM’s hour long investigative series on the corruption of the democratic
party like we did on Foley,Abramoff,and Cunnigham.
Every morning that I get up there is another democrat running around chanting “Hope and Change” while they are committing felony after felony.
Nothing but a circus of idiots.
Baxter Greene on January 10, 2009 at 9:21 AM
As Clay Davis would say:
SHEEEEEEEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
godhelpus on January 10, 2009 at 10:14 AM
thats right!! she CARES about people…and the indictment is a RACIST REPUBLIKKKAN PLOT!!!!
right4life on January 10, 2009 at 10:48 AM
Having lived in Maryland some time ago, I know that this may shock outsiders, but this mayor (really a ‘county executive’ like Spiro Agnew, who was considered a good-government ‘reformer’ in that state) probably still qualifies as “relatively clean” in that position.
The real graft and corruption in Maryland is controlled by the Judiciary.
landlines on January 10, 2009 at 11:16 AM
and the report doesn’t mention her being a democrat until the 12th paragraph. If the story were about a republican, I think it would have made the headline.
dts-01 on January 10, 2009 at 9:01 PM
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