. . . and don’t let the door hit you on the way out!
We first got to know former Maryland Del. Tiffany Alston after she had won her campaign for office with a pro-marriage-equality position and then — under pressure from bigots in her district — failed to show up for a crucial vote on the measure in 2011 more or less killing it for the year. (Her failure to show up was deliberate: she had changed her position, but wanted to avoid responsibility.)
We got to know her better when she was indicted and convicted for stealing $800 from the General Assembly to pay for an assistant at her private law firm. She is also facing trial for using about $3,000 of campaign money to pay for her wedding.
Alston was kicked out of office — and had her law license suspended — as a result of her being a petty thief. Yet, she has been campaigning to get her delegate seat reinstated. She is not claiming that she didn’t steal the money, but rather that she has a right to the seat based on a legal technicality. That’s right: Alston doesn’t think that being a petty thief is incompatible with public office, nor that holding public office is about anything other than exploiting the perks.
The good news is that a Prince George’s County district court finally laid the issue to rest by denying Alston’s claim to the seat earlier this week. Of course, knowing how much PG County citizens love corrupt politicians, I wouldn’t bet against her running again next year and winning.
©2012 Keith Berner
