Mayor Sheila Dixon reported receiving just over $1,000 in gifts and travel expenses last year, according to city ethics filings, but reported no gifts in filings from 2003 and 2004.

Those years are at the heart of a perjury and misconduct in office investigation by the state prosecutor’s office into gifts Dixon received from a high-profile developer she was romantically involved with at the time.

Last year, Dixon reported receiving five gifts. The largest was $600 in travel expenses to Denver for the “Under One Roof Denver Help the Homeless” seminar, a trip for which Dixon also reported paying part of her own way, spending more than $1,000.

Other items in the 2007 ethics filing included framed artwork valued at $150, books valued at $120.95, and a collection of items from Under Armour valued at $170.

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According to an affidavit supporting a search warrant issued for Dixon’s West Baltimore home, Dixon reported receiving no gifts worth more than $50 from July 1, 2003, through June 30, 2004. On a second filing covering Jan. 1, 2004, to Dec. 31, 2004, Dixon also reported receiving no gifts.

But in that time, the affidavit alleges Dixon received a $2,000 gift certificate to a local furrier from Ronald Lipscomb, a developer conducting frequent business with the city and former boyfriend of Dixon. The affidavit also details trips Dixon took with Lipscomb to Chicago and New York.

Dixon and Lipscomb have acknowledged that they had a relationship during that time and “exchanged gifts on special occasions,” but did not detail the nature of those gifts.

By comparison, in 2005, his last full year as mayor, Martin O’Malley claimed nearly $6,500 in gifts. The gifts were solely travel expenses for O’Malley and his wife for two trips, including a $5,086 trip to Israel sponsored by the Baltimore Jewish Council, and $1,400 for a speaking engagement in London sponsored by the Improvement and Development Agency.

As governor, O’Malley reported receiving 115 gifts on a financial disclosure form made public last month. The gifts ranged from homemade candy to travel expenses for two trips to Ireland, the most expensive totaling $3,868.20.

Examiner researcher Anthony Fair contributed to this story.

acahall@baltimoreexaminer.com