DALLAS (AP) _ Dallas County District Attorney Susan Hawk is blaming a three-week absence from her duties on “a serious episode of depression” and says she’ll take another four weeks’ unpaid leave.
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Republican Susan Hawk, who was sworn in in January, has not been seen for three weeks.
In a statement, Hawk said she had planned on getting back to work this week, but that it’s in her best interest to stay away from the office.
Hawk spent time in in rehab for prescription drugs in 2013, shortly after she announced she was running for D.A. She said she had to have back surgery, but spent a month at an Arizona facility for her use of pain medication and an Adderall like drug according to the Dallas Morning News.
“I’m very concerned, because – for one thing – nobody over there seems to be able to have a consistent statement about where she is”, said Carol Donovan, chairwoman of the Dallas County Democratic Party.
Hawk is a former Democratic judge who switched parties and defeated Texas’s first African American district attorney in a close race in November.
“She deserves a vacation just like every other public official in America does”, he said, though he added that “in retrospect”, he wishes her office had been more transparent about her schedule.
Woodlief told KTVT (CBS 11) on Monday that the district attorney’s office should have done a better job communicating with the public.
The Dallas Morning News reported last week that Hawk was on a break from work starting August 3.
Prior to her released statement, many at the Frank Crowley Courthouse said they were left in the dark as to where Hawk has been. “Over a year and a half ago I decided I did not want to take it any more, and I got help to quit taking it, and haven’t taken any since”.
“Unquestionably, much of the havoc of the past three weeks could have been avoided with a clearer communication plan”, the paper wrote.
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“Before she starts calling for Republican resignations, she should clean her own house first”, he said.
