Baltimore Mayor Indicted on Corruption Charges

(MoneyWatch)  The Mayor of Baltimore, Sheila Dixon, was indicted on a variety of charges related to bribes, gifts and favoring her former boyfriend's company. The Baltimore Sun reports that the accusations are when she was head of the City Council. Ms. Dixon faces up to 12 counts as part of an ongoing investigation to a variety of contracts awarded to developed Robert Lipscomb, who dated Dixon in 2003-2004. Lipscomb and another unidentified real estate developer received contracts from the city. Dixon failed to report the several thousand dollars of gifts she received from Lipscomb on her financial disclosure forms. The Mayor proclaims here innocence and says that "Republican" prosecutors are trying to get her any way possible. These types of cases where officials take gifts from contractors are supposed to be prevented through the use of financial disclosure forms filed by politicians at local, state and Federal levels.