Dallas County DA Susan Hawk fends off allegations of financial misconduct
Dallas County District Attorney Susan Hawk has frequently attempted to misuse public funds, a former high-ranking prosecutor said Sunday, adding that she was fired last week because she refused to comply with Hawk’s demands.
But Hawk’s first assistant, Messina Madson, who is running the office while Hawk is on leave for depression treatment, denied the allegations and dismissed them as a false attack by a recently-fired employee. She said she terminated Cindy Stormer, who oversaw the budget in her role as administrative chief, because of poor job performance.
“It is unfortunate that Mrs. Stormer is choosing to distort the facts and attack our office, and specifically attack Judge Hawk while she {is} unable to respond,” Madson said in a statement Sunday.
The allegations against Hawk come just before she was scheduled to return from her leave of absence to battle a “serious episode of depression. The district attorney has been off work for seven-and-a-half weeks and was expected to come back Tuesday, though it’s likely that date could get pushed back as she consults with treatment experts about when she’ll be ready to go back to work.
Read more: http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/2015/09/dallas-county-das-office-fends-off-allegations-of-financial-misconduct.html/
Earlier threads:
Friends, colleagues say Dallas County DA Susan Hawk spent time in drug rehab March 27. 2015
Dallas County DA absent for three weeks; addiction rumors start swirling August 23, 2015
Dallas Democrats: DA Susan Hawk ‘needs to do her job or resign’ August 24, 2015
Dallas County DA Susan Hawk takes leave to battle depression August 25, 2015
Dallas County DA Susan Hawk is at Texas facility for depression treatment August 26, 2015
Dallas County DA Hawk battled paranoia, had ‘break with reality,’ friend says August 27, 2015
Update: Dallas DA may remain out of office longer than announced September 15, 2015