After announcing resignation, Dawnna Dukes confirms plans to serve another term
State Rep. Dawnna Dukes confirmed to The Texas Tribune in an email Monday that she is not resigning from her post representing House District 46. The confirmation comes two days after news reports surfaced indicating she had changed her mind.
Dukes, an Austin Democrat, announced in September that she would retire from office on Jan. 10, the first day of the legislative session, after more than 20 years in the Texas House. She cited ongoing health issues and concerns over caring for her 9-year-old daughter — but that announcement came amid a criminal investigation into Dukes by the Travis County District Attorney's Office over an alleged misuse of staff and government funds.
On Saturday, just days after her own spokesperson confirmed to the Tribune that her resignation would go forward, the Austin American-Statesman reported that Dukes had told the new Travis County District Attorney, Margaret Moore, that she had changed her mind about retiring.
Former staff members have accused Dukes of seeking reimbursement from the state for travel payments she was not entitled to. In February, the Tribune reported that the state auditor’s office was investigating her use of state workers for personal projects. In April, the Texas Rangers joined a criminal investigation into Dukes’ behavior and presented their findings to the Travis County DA's office, which is still reviewing the case.
Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2017/01/09/dawnna-dukes-confirms-return-legislative-session/
