Prince George’s County is trying to repair the damage done by the corruption convictions of former County Executive Jack Johnson and his wife, Leslie, a former county council member. So it didn’t help the county’s tattered reputation when former Del. Tiffany Alston, D-Prince George’s, was convicted in June of using $800 in state funds to pay an employee of her private law firm. Alston was also charged with illegally using campaign funds to help pay for her wedding, but that charge was dropped as part of her plea bargain.

Alston received a one-year suspended jail sentence, and was ordered to pay $800 in restitution and perform 300 hours of community service. On Nov. 1, legal counsel Dan Friedman advised the Maryland General Assembly that Alston’s conviction required her immediate removal from her legislative seat, from which she has been suspended since October. The next day, the 24-member Prince George’s County Democratic Central Committee voted 12-10 to replace her with 2010 challenger Greg Hall for the two years remaining in her term. Unfortunately, the record of the person picked to be her replacement in Annapolis is even worse.