Tiffany T. Alston

Tiffany T. Alston (born April 22, 1977) is an American politician who represented Prince George's County District 24 in the Maryland House of Delegates since January 2023, and from January 2011 to January 2013. She was suspended from office in 2012 after being found guilty of stealing General Assembly funds to pay an employee at her law firm.[1]

Tiffany T. Alston
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates
from the 24th district
Assumed office
January 11, 2023
Serving with Jazz Lewis and Andrea Harrison
Preceded byFaye Martin Howell
In office
January 12, 2011 – October 9, 2012
Preceded byJoanne C. Benson
Succeeded byDarren Swain
Personal details
Born
Tiffany T. Alston

(1977-04-22) April 22, 1977
Washington, D.C.
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseKendal Gray
Children1
ResidenceMitchellville, Maryland
EducationUniversity of Maryland, College Park (B.A.)
University of the District of Columbia (J.D.)
OccupationLawyer

Background

Alston was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Prince George's County. She attended Seat Pleasant Elementary School.[2] She graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park with a Bachelor of Arts in criminology & criminal justice and from David A. Clarke School of Law with a Juris Doctor in 2002.[3]

From 1999 to 2001, she was a volunteer teacher with the AmeriCorps National Service Corporation. From 2004 to 2005, she served as a Chief of Staff within the Division of Correction at the Maryland Department of Public Safety & Correctional Services. She is a former mentor of the I Have a Dream Foundation, and a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.[3]

From 2004 to 2012, she practiced law with her own law firm, which was located in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.[3] Alston's law license was suspended by the Maryland Court of Appeals on September 25, 2012,[4] and she was disbarred on May 3, 2013.[5]

In the legislature

Alston was a member of the House of Delegates from 2011 to 2013 and served on the Judiciary committee. She was a member of the Prince George's County Delegation, the Women's Caucus, and the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland.[2]

Marriage equality

During the 2011 legislative session, Alston was a co-sponsor of "Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act".[6] A similar bill was filed in the Maryland Senate (SB 116 - Civil Marriage Protection Act)[7] and was assigned to the House Judiciary Committee, the committee on which Alston served. During the committee voting session on SB 116, Alston revoked her co-sponsorship and instead offered an amendment to change the bill from same-sex marriage to civil unions. The amendment failed, and Alston then voted against the bill.[8][9] Despite Alston's vote, SB 116 was approved by the committee 12-10 and was forwarded to the full House of Delegates for final approval, but the bill was eventually sent back to committee, effectively terminating the bill for the session.[10]

Alston voted against the Civil Marriage Protection Act in committee when it was re-introduced in the 2012 legislative session, but voted for the bill after it was amended to block the bill from going into effect if efforts to bring it to a referendum were being litigated.[11]

Criminal charges

Alston was indicted in an Anne Arundel County courtroom with embezzlement on September 24, 2011 on one count each of felony and misdemeanor theft, misappropriation by a fiduciary and two election law offenses for allegedly using Maryland General Assembly funds and her election campaign funds to cover her wedding expenses and to pay an employee of her law firm.[12]

Alston was found guilty of misdemeanor theft of General Assembly funds and misconduct in office on June 12, 2012. The judge postponed sentencing until after a separate trial, scheduled for October 2012, on the charges regarding Alston's use of her 2010 campaign funds to pay her wedding-related expenses.[13] On October 9, 2012, the judge struck the jury verdict and entered probation before judgement after Alston entered a plea deal agreed to pay $800 in restitution to the General Assembly and complete 300 hours of community service.[1][14] On October 10, 2012, General Assembly Counsel Daniel A. Friedman announced that Alston was suspended from her office without pay or benefits due to a Maryland constitutional provision.[14] Alston sued to try to get her legislative job back, but the Maryland Court of Appeals ruled against her on January 4, 2013.[15]

Post-legislative career

In February 2014, Alston filed to run for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 24, seeking to gain her old seat back from Darren Swain.[16][17] In order to run for this seat, Alston had to pay the Maryland State Board of Elections back for the $750 in late fees that she owed for failing to file timely campaign finance reports.[18] She came in fourth place in the Democratic primary, receiving 13.0 percent of the vote.[19]

In 2017, Alston filed to run for Maryland Senate, seeking to challenge two-term incumbent Joanne C. Benson.[20] She received 31.5 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary election.[21]

In 2022, Alston filed to run for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 24, seeking to succeed state delegate Jazz Lewis, who was running for Congress in Maryland's 4th congressional district.[22][23]

Electoral history
Maryland House of Delegates District 24 Democratic Primary Election, 2010[24]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Carolyn J. B. Howard 6,962 24.9
Democratic Michael L. Vaughn 5,750 20.5
Democratic Tiffany Alston 3,434 12.3
Democratic Greg Hall 3,124 11.2
Democratic Kenneth Williams 1,707 6.1
Democratic Byron Richardson 1,673 6.0
Democratic Clayton Anthony Aarons 1,594 5.7
Democratic Michael Oputa 1,530 5.5
Democratic Nancy L. Dixon-Saxon 1,393 5.0
Democratic Sherry James-Strother 839 3.0
Maryland House of Delegates District 24 Election, 2010[25]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Tiffany Alston 22,970 34.3
Democratic Carolyn J. B. Howard 22,083 33.0
Democratic Michael L. Vaughn 21,832 32.6
Write-in 103 0.2
Maryland House of Delegates District 24 Democratic Primary Election, 2014[26]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Carolyn J. B. Howard 7,864 22.0
Democratic Michael L. Vaughn 6,880 19.3
Democratic Erek Barron 4,849 13.6
Democratic Tiffany Alston 4,628 13.0
Democratic Marva Jo Camp 3,691 10.3
Democratic Greg Hall 3,031 8.5
Democratic Darren Swain 2,520 7.1
Democratic Phillip A. Raines 1,100 3.1
Democratic Delaneo L. Miller 683 1.9
Democratic Durand Adrian Ford 423 1.2
Maryland Senate District 24 Democratic Primary Election, 2018[21]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Joanne C. Benson 10,230 52.3
Democratic Tiffany Alston 6,160 31.5
Democratic Everett D. Browning, Sr. 3,179 16.2

References
  1. Marimow, Ann E. (October 10, 2012). "Pr. George's Del. Tiffany Alston strikes deal just before trial was to begin". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
  2. "House of Delegates". Maryland Manual. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
  3. "Tiffany T. Alston, Maryland State Delegate". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  4. Marimow, Anne (September 25, 2012). "Del. Alston's law license suspended by Md. high court". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  5. Siegel, Andrea (May 3, 2013). "Former delegate Tiffany Alston disbarred". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  6. "House Bill 175". Maryland General Assembly. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
  7. "SENATE BILL 116". Maryland General Assembly. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
  8. Wagner, John (4 March 2011). "House panel passes same-sex marriage bill". Washington Post. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
  9. Hill, David (4 March 2011). "Maryland House panel passes gay marriage bill". Washington Times. Retrieved 5 March 2011.
  10. Bykowicz, Julie; Linskey, Annie (March 12, 2011). "Failure of same-sex marriage casts doubt on measure's future". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  11. Dresser, Michael; Linskey, Annie (February 18, 2012). "Md. House passes same-sex marriage bill". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  12. "Md. state lawmaker accused of using campaign funds to cover wedding expenses". Associated Press via Washington Post. September 23, 2011.
  13. Siegel, Andrea (June 12, 2012). "Alston convicted of theft, misconduct in office". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 12, 2012.
  14. Marimow, Ann E. (October 10, 2012). "Del. Tiffany Alston suspended from office, General Assembly lawyer says". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
  15. "Tiffany Alston loses bid to get House seat back". WBAL-TV. Baltimore. January 4, 2013. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  16. Dresser, Michael (February 25, 2014). "Ousted delegate Tiffany Alston seeks old House seat". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  17. Svitek, Patrick (February 26, 2014). "Ousted delegate Tiffany Alston enters primary for her former seat". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  18. Kunkle, Fredrick (February 28, 2014). "Alston had to clear up campaign debts, late fees from 2012 before launching comeback bid". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  19. "Incumbents dominate primary election in Prince George's". PG Sentinel. June 25, 2014. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  20. Kurtz, Josh (October 1, 2017). "Big Changes Coming to the State Senate". Maryland Matters. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  21. "Official 2018 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for State Senator". Maryland State Board of Elections.
  22. Kurtz, Josh (June 1, 2022). "Top 20 House Primaries to Watch". Maryland Matters. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  23. Ford, William (April 19, 2022). "Candidates Lined up for Maryland's Primary Election". The Washington Informer. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  24. "Official 2010 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for House of Delegates". Maryland State Board of Elections.
  25. "Official 2010 Gubernatorial General Election results for House of Delegates". Maryland State Board of Elections.
  26. "Official 2014 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for House of Delegates". Maryland State Board of Elections.
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