Baltimore mayor allegedly purchased consoles with gift cards for the needy

by Alexander Sliwinski { Jan 9th 2009 at 8:59PM }

Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon has been indicted on 12 counts, including four counts of perjury and two counts of theft over $500, following a three-year probe by a state prosecutor into corruption at City Hall. According to the Baltimore Sun, among the laundry list of charges against Dixon, which cover awarding lucrative contracts to family members and general misconduct in office, she also allegedly stole from those most in need and went console shopping.

According to prosecutors, a few years back Dixon used Best Buy gift cards, intended for underprivileged families, to purchase a PlayStation 2, Xbox 360 and PSP -- along with other pieces of consumer electronics. Dixon says she has done nothing wrong and is confident she'll be found innocent. She better pray that Best Buy doesn't keep videos of transactions in some vault for years.

[Via GamePolitics]

Tags: baltimore, baltimore-sun, dixon, mayor-sheila-dixon, sheila-dixon

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

ice~ @ Jan 9th 2009 9:03PM

Wtf is up with American politicians nowadays...It seems like they're all going to court, or jail.

This is just a disgrace though...i mean really

el serpiente @ Jan 10th 2009 12:03AM

Well, I actually think it is a good thing that we are actually seeing these people be caught prosecuted. It means that, at least in some parts of the country, eyes are being kept on the conduct of people in high political office.

When you've lived in other countries where such corruption is rampant and endemic and never prosecuted, you grow to be appreciative that these things are able to happen.

randomshagz @ Jan 10th 2009 8:45AM

She is a woman... she is not to be trusted.

BigD145 @ Jan 10th 2009 2:02PM

All going to court or jail?! You obviously haven't been keeping track of American politics. Most politicians that are plainly guilty have been avoiding subpoenas and others, like the VP himself, have stated in advance that they would flat out refuse to show up for their own trial if subpoenaed.

nighttime__ @ Jan 9th 2009 9:06PM

I hear they use brooms, for all the wrong reasons, in women's jail!

Lone Starr @ Jan 9th 2009 9:20PM

There's this story about a guy who wanted to have anal stimulation so he got a broom, climbed on top of the fridge, and jumped down on it, impaling himself in the process.

You can't imagine how much effort I've put into trying to verify this.

J @ Jan 9th 2009 9:24PM

What makes it wrong? ohh..

What's wrong with sparring? It takes the edge off of being locked up, doesn't it?

nighttime__ @ Jan 9th 2009 10:22PM

@lone starr

I puckered up.

Esat Dedezade @ Jan 9th 2009 10:36PM

Just the image I wanted to be left with just before going to bed. Many thanks for that... :)

Donald @ Jan 9th 2009 10:50PM

That post was total nightmare fuel >_

giantenemycrab @ Jan 9th 2009 9:06PM

Wow, stealing from the poor. Does it get any more pathetic than that?

Donald @ Jan 9th 2009 10:50PM

Someone needs to go Robin Hood on her ass.

PSN: Erdie @ Jan 9th 2009 9:07PM

If true, what a bitch.

Wiinterfang @ Jan 9th 2009 9:09PM

She certainly looks like one.

Esat Dedezade @ Jan 9th 2009 9:10PM

That my friends is the look on the face of a person who had done wrong. I'm glad she got caught. So help here if one of the needy kids were in Chuck Noriss's good books....

... not that he has a good book, but I'm sure this lady would have gat a RHK to the face from him sooner of later. Thus is the certainty of life.

PS anyone else think she looks slightly like Halle Berry?

J @ Jan 9th 2009 9:30PM

You've GOT to be kidding me.

1. I would've believed you when you said you would start proof-reading had you not continue posting here.

2. She doesn't look like Halle Berry.

3. SHE DOES NOT LOOK ANYTHING LIKE HALLE BERRY.

4. I'm gonna kill you now... in my mind.

Wiinterfang @ Jan 9th 2009 9:30PM

Are you saying that all black people look alike?? >=(

Arrg just kidding man, Obama won my race card got revoked.

J @ Jan 9th 2009 9:34PM

from someone who said, "she certainly looks like one."

What are YOU saying? All black women look like bitches?!?!

>=[

Esat Dedezade @ Jan 9th 2009 9:37PM

J I reside in the UK. It is currently 2:33am here. I obtained FOUR hours of sleep the night before. I think I am entitled to some mistakes at this stage :P

Can you hallucinate from sleep deprivation by the way?

Also if anyone knows how the hell to set up ICS in vista I would appreciate it. It's the only reason why I'm still up.. that and Joystiq has seemingly become the equivalent of crack to me. Any way I keep getting this stupid error message: An error occurred while configuring Internet Connection Sharing" and have tried various voodoo incantations to no effect.

I shall repay your help with positive thoughts. Take that in whatever way you desire.

Wiinterfang @ Jan 9th 2009 9:38PM

not ALL of them.

J @ Jan 9th 2009 9:46PM

Esat, you are addicted to the orange hearts.

So long as you keep posting here, you are your own enabler.

As for your ICS issue, might I recommend the google?

I'm still killing you... in my mind, for what you said about halle berry. I am gouging your eyes out right now, since you obviously don't know how to use 'em properly.

Esat Dedezade @ Jan 9th 2009 9:54PM

Believe me, I'm googling ultra hard. Regarding the Halle Berry comment, bear in mind I was thinking of her about 10 - 15 years from now if that helps.

Would you like to pay off my eye medicinal bills by wire transfer or would you prefer small monthly instalments (with interest)?

J @ Jan 9th 2009 10:18PM

Eye medicine?

You don't have eyes anymore! There's no reason for you to be forgetful. I haven't scooped out your brain, yet.

...
now you are forgetful.

How about this?
http://www.vistax64.com/vista-networking-sharing/78995-vista-ics-error-msg.html

Esat Dedezade @ Jan 9th 2009 10:28PM

Thanks for the help. That was actually the very first page I tried :) I shall give up in a moment anyway. Plus I do not wish to turn this fine Joystiq establishment in to a tech support forum.

There was something else that I was going to say... a witty retort regarding the gouging out of my eyes but in all honesty, at 3:26am, it has escaped me, a wispy memory amongst all of the utterly random garbage that my neurons seem to be spewing out today.

J @ Jan 9th 2009 10:51PM

"There was something else that I was going to say... a witty retort regarding the gouging out of my eyes but in all honesty, at 3:26am, it has escaped me, a wispy memory amongst all of the utterly random garbage that my neurons seem to be spewing out today."

don't patronize me.

Esat Dedezade @ Jan 9th 2009 10:55PM

Okay. Last post, then I'm going to bed!

The funny thing is, I genuinely DID forget was I was going to say, I even forgot that you joked that you were erasing my memory till after I posted the comment. Only after did I realise that what you said became true. You clearly have true powers. Can you use them to ban Joystiq's IP adress from my router? I don't have the willpower.

Right, I am so exhausted I can barely stay awake...goodniujnhgu0]qe42

Levi @ Jan 9th 2009 9:11PM

Let me be the first to say, I'd hit it.

Hey, I'm attracted to powerul women (that aren't bull dykes, thank you Hillary Clinton), and chicks in prison!

Lone Starr @ Jan 9th 2009 9:21PM

You mean like Martha Stewart?

PSN: Erdie @ Jan 9th 2009 9:37PM

What a fox!

Levi @ Jan 9th 2009 9:38PM

I can't deny it, I once admitted that I would put the stuffin' to her too. At least she'll bake cookes after it's over.

aj @ Jan 9th 2009 11:43PM

A "bull dyke" is what, a woman who doesn't act feminine enough?

It's 2009. Women are allowed to vote, get jobs, and wear trousers. Learn to accept that.

Gavin @ Jan 10th 2009 12:01AM

Dixon looks even better when you put her in context. Her partner, city council prez Stepheny Rollins Blake would be hideous even without the triple chin.

God I hate Baltimore politics...

arrakisman @ Jan 10th 2009 11:15AM

At least she won't get elected to state gov.

Levi @ Jan 10th 2009 12:27PM

A bull dyke is something that I heard some comedian refer Hillary as, which is just too hilarious not to say every chance I get.

aj, take it easy princess. Women got to vote, wear trousers and earn an income, all in the 20th century. It should be considered progressive to be able to make a joke about women and not be labeled sexist in 2009.

quickshade @ Jan 9th 2009 9:12PM

to bad bestbuy does keep track of stuff like this, pretty big problem if you ask me. and truly I agree....what a bitch.

someone @ Jan 9th 2009 9:13PM

LOL

Use your own money for consoles, not someone that needs it.

Today's world.. making you wonder how more we can get screwed up, one day at a time.

Haon @ Jan 9th 2009 9:35PM

Dont look at me I voted for Carcetti.

aggrazel @ Jan 10th 2009 12:22AM

Seriously, I was wondering how they caught her. Maybe they had a wire up on her or something. Dang those real po-lice.

ill trooper @ Jan 10th 2009 5:07AM

Goddammit that was such a better 'WIRE' joke than the one I came up with, I'm just stopping now.

Bravo!

j.howlett @ Jan 9th 2009 9:41PM

voting for fictional candidates who in the story was going to run for senate in the next election, you sure that's better

umm....hello??? @ Jan 9th 2009 9:43PM

Gov. Blagoyabitch is still one of the worst politicians in the US....

JRM @ Jan 9th 2009 9:44PM

Makes sense to me.

Why waste your own money on a PSP? ;)

flanker22 @ Apr 6th 2009 3:47PM

i saw this on the news today and they said that she used the giftcards to buy a ps3 for herself. she bought some other stuff like fur and mink coats from money from other sources as well.

But ya you're right successful black people have the tendency to sabatoge themselves like idiots. Micheal Vick, Plaxico Buress, Wesley Snipes, Lil Kim, and Jacko all come to mind.

Freelance @ Jan 9th 2009 9:57PM

Well good for her! We need more politicians to support gaming!

Wait, What!? She bought a PSP! How do we impeach this bitch!?

Virtuous @ Jan 9th 2009 10:24PM

Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. There's one excellent example currently in the Oval Office.

PsionicMonkey @ Jan 9th 2009 11:19PM

Ugh, please, you wouldn't know the true horror of absolute power until it would have been too late to do anything about it.

And its hilarious you make that remark in a story about a DEMOCRAT.

Sheila Dixon has been a plague on Baltimore City. Frankly, you could say that about 98% of the city council, past and present.

aj @ Jan 9th 2009 11:44PM

If you think the president has "absolute power", you need to read a history book RIGHT NOW before you make yourself look any dumber.

ill trooper @ Jan 10th 2009 5:40AM

"If you think the president has "absolute power", you need to read a history book RIGHT NOW before you make yourself look any dumber."

AJ, you might want to re-read what he wrote, before you say someone's going to make themselves 'look any dumber' - he didn't actually say the president had absolute power, I'd say he's charging we have a president in office right now (Bush) that arrived there via corruption by way of absolute power. Read the history of the Bush family and you might agree that it certainly wasn't 'being qualified' that got Bush as far as he did.

And (ugh), Psionic, Bush/Cheney is about as close as we've been to 'the true horror of absolute power' in my lifetime, chief example being the Patriot Act and all of it's wonderful regard for the American citizen, which has a self-preservation clause in it like some virus, in that it can be extended at any moment, to continue sidestepping/wiretapping our rights in the name of whatever anyone wants to use that week. And look into how far 'eminent domain' has seeped into everyday government runnings - I would assert that YOU are the one who doesn't seem to know anything about how far it's gone, and yes, Virginia, it is likely too late to do anything about it.