Jack Evans Dodges Ethics Probe Questions At Meeting He Requested

GEORGETOWN, DC — At a D.C. council meeting on Tuesday, Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) fought to retain his committee chairmanship and tried to convince fellow lawmakers to "wait until all facts are known" about his ethics investigation.

"I simply ask for a pause to slow this rush to judgment until all the facts are known and my side is heard," Evans told colleagues. "When all is reviewed and known, you will see my actions — while not becoming — are far from that which has been reported or suggested."

The embattled council member's remarks comes less than a month after the FBI raided his Georgetown home, and days after he resigned from the WMATA Board of Directors. Evans is accused of using his standing as chairman of the Metro Board to benefit friends and stakeholders, and to get business for his private consulting work, raising ethics questions.

Last week, the Democrat asked for the opportunity to tell his side of the story and answer questions his fellow lawmakers had about the investigation. But when Evans got the chance to make his case at Tuesday's meeting, he repeatedly dodged colleagues' questions. Evans, instead, said he would only answer questions pertaining to Metro's 20-page memo, which outlined his violations.

"A lot of questions aren't getting answered, and I think there's a direct line between what we're talking about in WMATA and what is important to the Council," council member Charles Allen told Evans, per Washington City Paper. "The WMATA report itself is replete with this co-mingling of the concerns expressed at WMATA with actions taken at the Council. So I don't think they can be segmented off and separated."

According to the memo, Evans used his powerful position as chairman to benefit his friends and business stakeholders.

"Our investigation uncovered a pattern of conduct in which Evans attempted to and did help his friends and clients and served their interests, rather than the interests of WMATA," the memo read.

According to the memo, Evans took "an active role in parking issues at WMATA" without disclosing that he had a $50,000 contract with Colonial Parking.

The memo went on to say that Evans tried to "oust" Colonial's competitor, LAZ Parking, by lobbying for the Metro's Inspector General to look into the business. LAZ Parking manages Metro's parking facilities.

This move, the memo said, served to benefit Colonial Parking.

Following the investigation, the Board Ethics Committee ordered Evans to amend his disclosure forms. He was also told by officials to not seek re-election as board chair.

On June 20, the D.C. council member announced that he would step down as chairman of the WMATA board, effective June 27. In the midst of all of that, the FBI raided his home.

Evans commented on the raid at Tuesday's council meeting.

"The media quickly was called and carried the search live. Then the media showed agents carrying out many boxes. What an impression that has left," Evans said. "Except the reality is that those boxes were almost entirely empty. All the agents wanted to see were my mobile phones, my iPad, and, for some reason, my children's computer. They also took my copies of the WMATA law firm memo — (what) we're talking about — and WMATA's general counsel filing memo. That was it, nothing else."

He then said: "I am not here to say that in retrospect I could not have acted better. I could have. I am not here to say that I did not deserve some of the criticism that has been levied at me. I certainly do. And I am not here to say that your or anyone asking questions is not proper. It is. However, I am also here to say that my conduct is not what has been reported or the violations alleged."

After reading his statement, council members were allowed to ask Evans questions. Ward 3 Council member Mary Cheh said she was upset that Evans lied about the outcome of the ethics investigation.

"We had conversations — you know this — where you told me before the WMATA matter came out that you were cleared by WMATA. And I said to you, remember, 'That's great, Jack. You should get that out there,'" Cheh told Evans. "But that wasn't the case. That wasn't quite the truth. Later we find that there were more complications with that."

Cheh went on to say that she wonders whether she could believe everything she's heard from Evans while working together.

"Since all of this has come out, and about the consulting firm, it's caused me to think back about other conversations or things we've been involved in relating to council work, and what I could have properly relied on in terms of who you were actually representing or whether you were advancing somebody else's interests, undisclosed."

Evans said that it wasn't his intention to deceive his colleagues or his constituents.

The Ward 2 council member is no longer chairman of the Metro Board. He, however, is still chairman of the council's Committee on Finance and Revenue.

At Tuesday's meeting, Evans asked his colleagues not to strip him of his chairmanship.

Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) said that intends to hold a vote next week to remove Evans as chairman of the finance committee and to hire an outside law firm to investigate him this summer, according to The Washington Post.

SEE ALSO:

• FBI Raids Home Of Embattled DC Councilmember Jack Evans: Report