Less than a year after getting convicted of a felony count of misconduct in office for falsifying election records, Southfield City Clerk Sherikia L. Hawkins landed another job working for taxpayers, Metro Times has learned.
The Pontiac City Council hired Hawkins to serve as its chief of staff in July 2023. The hiring was not previously reported.
Hawkins’s life appeared to be heading in a much different direction after Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel charged Hawkins in September 2019 with multiple felony counts that alleged she committed election fraud by tampering with absentee ballots.
She had faced up to 14 years in prison.
But in October 2022, Nessel’s office dismissed five felony counts against Hawkins in exchange for her pleading no contest to a felony count of misconduct in office. Hawkins also agreed to resign.
As a result of the plea agreement, Hawkins was not sentenced to prison or probation.
In a statement to Metro Times, Pontiac City Council President Mike McGuinness defended the hiring of Hawkins, describing her as “an incredible human being who has worked hard and worked effectively in her role with the Pontiac City Council.”
McGuinness said the council was “fully aware of the past legal challenges” of Hawkins and said she was “both transparent and responsive when she was asked during the interview process how it might impact the position for which she was under consideration.”
Hawkins is no stranger to Pontiac. She grew up in the city and interned at city hall when she was a college student. She later worked for the city in various roles, including as clerk.
“We were sad to see her go because she was such an effective public servant and I’m grateful she was willing to help her hometown again — even though it includes the occupational hazard of anonymous detractors hoping to embarrass her or somehow trying to lead to her unemployment,” McGuinness said. The council president also said Hawkins “has my full support and the full support of our entire Council.”
He added, “We hired an excellent person and we are grateful she continues to work so hard to help Pontiac residents’ lives improve.”
During the November 2018 election, Hawkins is accused of altering information on the number of ballots cast to cover up for a mistake made by election inspectors. The inspectors placed 193 ballots in the ballot container without first running them through a tabulator, which was then sealed.
As a result, the number of votes shown on the tabulator counter was 193 fewer than the number of absentee ballots received by the clerk’s office.
Hawkins allegedly removed the 193 names from the list of voters who cast absentee ballots in an attempt to cover up the mistake.
County election officials spotted the change and alerted authorities.
It’s unclear how much money Hawkins is making in Pontiac. Metro Times couldn’t reach McGuinness, Hawkins, or other city officials for follow-up questions.
“Her legal record does not define her worth,” McGuinness said of Hawkins in his original statement.
