Sheila Dixon announced her campaign for Baltimore mayor on Thursday and apologized for her past “mistakes” in an op-ed written to the Baltimore Sun.
Dixon, who served as mayor of Baltimore from 2007 to 2010, stepped down from office after a jury found her guilty of embezzlement for using $500 of donated gift cards earmarked for local charities to buy gifts for her family and staff, according to The Associated Press. Dixon admitted she had made mistakes in her “personal life” and apologized for those actions in the op-ed.
“I have truly made mistakes in my personal life, one of which resulted in a misdemeanor charge that forced my resignation from the job I loved the most,” Dixon wrote. “I let matters of the heart lead me astray once before, and for that, and the pain that it caused to my beloved Baltimore, I am truly sorry. I hope the people realize that my love for the future of Baltimore outweighs the mistakes of my past.”
The “matters of the heart” involved an affair Dixon had with a city contractor while she was in office, according to the Courthouse News Service.
Dixon touted her community service and previous record as mayor in the letter, and claimed that city leaders have let Baltimore citizens down over the past decade. She also emphasized her accomplishments during her three years as mayor, which included fewer murders and quicker government responses to local issues, Courthouse News reported.
“We need to have accountability,” Dixon told Fox 45 News in an interview.
Non-fatal shootings, homicides and arrests fell during Dixon’s short time as mayor of Baltimore as she focused on targeted arrests in the city and plain-clothes policing, according to local media outlet The Real News Network.
“I’ve learned from my mistakes. I want people to give me another chance, [and] I know that I’m going to have to gain people’s trust,” Dixon told Fox 45 News. “I try to be the most transparent, truthful, honest person that there is and people will just have to, you know, see the results. A lot of times, it’s not a matter of just saying it, it’s a matter of your actions behind it.”
This will be Dixon’s third attempt to win the job back since her ouster, according to the AP.
Dixon did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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