At-large Prince George’s County Councilmember Calvin Hawkins II believes in second chances.
He’s led a career marked by overcoming past mistakes, and now he hopes to play a role in a “comeback story” for an old colleague: former At-Large Councilmember Mel Franklin, whom he hired as his new chief of staff earlier this summer.
Franklin’s hiring comes weeks after he was released early from a one-year sentence for a criminal scheme to steal campaign funds to cover personal expenses — and the efforts taken to hide his actions. He resigned from the council last year before later pleading guilty to charges of felony theft and perjury, and was sentenced in November to five years in prison with all but one suspended and three years probation.
Hawkins (D-At Large) did not respond to multiple requests for an interview, but said in a statement Tuesday that he chose to hire Franklin after speaking with him recently and finding that “his contrition was sincere and evident.”
“His call to serve still shone brightly,” Hawkins’ statement said. “In that moment, I was moved to offer him the role as my Chief of Staff.”
Click here to read the rest of the article written by Sam Gauntt over at Maryland Matters
