Mayor Sheila Dixon hired high-powered criminal defense attorney Arnold Weiner to represent her in the ongoing probe involving allegations of perjury and misconduct in office.
Weiner, known for his courtroom acumen and high-profile political and white-collar crime cases, represented former Gov. Marvin Mandel and helped overturn his conviction on federal mail fraud and racketeering charges in 1977.
Mandel served 19 months in jail of a four-year sentence, but after a decade-long series of appeals, the U.S. Supreme Court set aside the verdict in 1987.
Weiner joined Dixon?s legal team last week.
“I can only say at this point that she is a great mayor and I am looking forward to representing her,” Weiner told The Examiner. “But I?m relatively new to the case so I don?t want to say too much.”
The grand jury?s term is set to expire in August, but sources familiar with the investigation said several key aides have been called back to testify more than once.
Harold Dixon, who served on Dixon?s security detail when she was president of the Baltimore City Council, has been called to testify in front of the grand jury three times since it convened in June, sources said.
Former Dixon spokesman Anthony McCarthy has yet to have his testimony rescheduled after prosecutors abruptly canceled his appearance before the grand jury last month, sources said.
An affidavit for a search warrant released last month indicated Dixon accepted gifts from prominent Baltimore developer Ronald Lipscomb and took several lavish trips with him in 2003 and 2004. Dixon admitted accepting gifts while the couple dated.
The mayor, who was City Council president at the time, did not include the gifts on her financial disclosure statements, the documents show. City officials are required by law to disclose gifts from anyone doing business with the city.
