Dirty Harry

Accountability and public trust are in very short supply at the Wilson Building these days, and some Council members are chomping at the bit to right the ship. Others are doing their best to simply tread water. Risking sounding like a hypocrite, they know all too well how it feels to come this close to political doom.

This is the backdrop to the involving Ward 5 Council member Harry Thomas, Jr., and how he is so close to being made the sacrificial lamb.

Thomas settled a civil lawsuit which alleged he diverted youth program funds for his own personal use. In agreeing to pay $300,000 back to the city, he gets to avoid admitting any wrongdoing. It’s a smart move on his part, serving to anger his fellow Council members even more.

David Catania was the first to call for Thomas’ resignation. In true Catania fashion, there was no big splash to make headlines, just a simple statement. “The residents of the District of Columbia deserve better,” said Catania.

Enter the two who have been trying to steal the spotlight on ethics reform: Council members Mary Cheh and Tommy Wells.

Mary Cheh released a statement on Thomas. “This implicit acknowledgement will, I believe, make it very difficult for him to continue to effectively serve the citizens of the District, and, therefore, I hope he will seriously consider stepping off the Council,” she wrote.

Cheh has positioned herself quite nicely through committee moves and is serving notice she plans to offer up ethics reform legislation. 

“When the Council resumes its legislative activities in the fall, I intend to redouble my efforts to enact strong ethics rules and to end campaign and contribution practices that compromise trust in public officials,” she said. Ambitious is that one.

Ward 6’s Tommy Wells, from a committee shakeup sting, is also coming to bat for ethics reform.

“It is time to begin the difficult process of restoring public confidence in our government and its leaders, and Mr. Thomas’ resignation is the first step,” Wells said. 

He was concerned about the terms of the settlement, how Thomas was able to deny any wrongdoing, though still offered no explanation of the $300,000. “We need better than that from public officials who oversee a city budget of more than $10 billion,” he said. 

Earlier in the week, Council Chair Kwame Brown was asked to comment on the Thomas affair. He was too shy to directly call on Thomas to resign, and it’s no surprise given Brown’s recent track record on campaign ethics. He did call on Thomas to “seriously consider doing the right thing.” Strong words from the chairman.

Mayor Vincent Gray has talked some about the Thomas lawsuit, but he’s come across less like the city’s leader and more like he doesn’t want to touch it with a ten-foot pole. He said in an interview with the Washington Post that he would “let justice run its course.” Gray would know about justice running its course. In the federal investigation into Gray’s , justice has been running its course for months now, and there’s still no end in sight.

The majority of the Council has kept quiet on the matter, which is also no surprise. They realize that Ward 5 still needs representation. Who’s going to fill Thomas’ shoes if he is forced out? Will the District then have to hold yet another special election? These are all things weighing on Council members’ minds as they wait to choose sides.

Harry Thomas, Jr. is oh-so-close to being made an example of. If he steps down, and it’s a big if, it will happen in the name of ethics reform. It will help the careers of some Council members, and will help take the heat off of those who’ve so far been able to avoid litigation.

All this political drama, and the Council isn’t even in session. 

Can we hold a city wide vote on keeping them away for another two months?