Feb 21, 2006 7:04 pm US/Eastern
City Prepares To Investigate Dixon's Ethics
Ethics Concerns Could Hamper Dixon's Mayoral Hopes
by Derek Valcourt
BALTIMORE (WJZ/AP) ―
The Baltimore City Board of Ethics will begin its investigation tonight of City Council President Sheila Dixon's participation in a recent council hearing and three Board of Estimates votes that involved her sister's employer.
Dixon's sister, Janice, is employed as an operations manager at U-Tech, a company that specializes in information technology.
The city ethics board confirms to Eyewitness News that they will consider launching a full investigation when they meet on Feb. 21.
Dixon's spokesperson tell
WJZ's Derek Valcourt that Dixon has hired an attorney, who advised her not to comment on the case.
Mayor O'Malley tells
Eyewitness News says he will not comment on the issue.
Political observers say the ethical concerns about Dixon's actions could hamper her mayoral ambitions. Dixon would automatically become mayor if Martin O'Malley wins the governor's race this fall. But she would have to campaign for the post in the city's 2007 election.
Supporters say Dixon has survived ethics questions before and that she has plenty of time to put any worries behind her.
The city's ethics law requires public officials to recuse themselves from actions that benefit relatives.
Eyewitness News learns Dixon and her sister Janice were the center of controversy in 2003, when the city fired Janice from Dixon's council staff because nepotism rules banned council members from hiring their family members.
(© 2005 CBS Worldwide Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Information from The Baltimore Sun.)
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