Calvin Hawkins II, an at-large member of the Prince George’s County Council, is a supporter of second chances.
He has made a career out of overcoming setbacks, and now he aims to help an old colleague—former At-Large Councilmember Mel Franklin, whom he appointed as his new chief of staff earlier this summer—make a return.
Following weeks of his early release from a one-year term for a criminal conspiracy to steal campaign cash to pay for personal expenses and his attempts to conceal his crimes, Franklin was hired. In November, he was sentenced to five years in jail with all but one suspended and three years of probation after resigning from the council the previous year and entering a guilty plea to charges of criminal theft and perjury.
Despite not answering several requests for an interview, Hawkins (D-At Large) claimed in a statement on Tuesday that he decided to hire Franklin after recently conversing with him and observing that his remorse was genuine and obvious.
According to Hawkins’ statement, his call to serve was still very clear. I felt compelled to offer him the position of Chief of Staff at that precise moment.
