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Pugh says Lessons Learned

Dominique Maria Bonessi

One day after Darryl De Sousa resigned as Baltimore’s police commissioner, Mayor Catherine Pugh took full responsibility for his hiring.

Pugh said in a news conference Wednesday she selected De Sousa, who has been indicted on federal tax charges, because she was “comfortable” with having him lead the department.

“I owe the selection of Darryl De Sousa for Baltimore City," said Pugh. "I watched his work. I’m pleased with where we are in terms of reducing violence. But at the same time, I don’t control people’s personal lives and we will ask those kinds of questions as we move forward.”

City Solicitor Andre Davis said that the vetting process in the national search for a new police commissioner and future mayoral appointees will be more thorough.

“We’re going to be documenting it better, asking focus questions, invasive questions, questions that were not asked before," said Davis.

One of the likely questions to come up for candidates: Have you filed your taxes?

Meanwhile, federal prosecutors who charged De Sousa with not filing his tax return for three years, have also subpoenaed 10 years’ worth of records of the De Sousa’s pay, travel and secondary jobs.

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