No one is surprised by D.C. Councilman Harry Thomas Jr.’s decision to settle the $1 million civil lawsuit filed against him by D.C. Attorney General Irvin Nathan. Most people believe the Ward 5 legislator, as alleged, diverted for his own personal enrichment $300,000 of public funds identified for underserved youth. But Thomas’ pledge to repay that money doesn’t absolve him. In fact, despite his verbiage about his integrity and serving the community, the settlement and his failure to provide any documentation refuting Nathan’s charges starkly suggest wrongdoing.
A kickback is a kickback.
The councilman’s actions put him in league with other unethical public officials, including former U.S. Rep. William Jefferson, D-La., and former Prince George’s County Executive Jack Johnson and his wife Leslie. Initially, they also pleaded not guilty before admitting guilt.
As first reported Friday on jonettarosebarras.com, David Catania has called for Thomas’ resignation. “Taxpayers are owed an answer — not a settlement,” the at-large councilman told me. Ward 3 Councilwoman Mary Cheh also has joined in the call for Thomas to step down.
Some blacks have suggested an element of racism behind their demands. That’s ludicrous. Integrity and ethics don’t wear any special color.
But, if there is a racial element, it is this: Six of the eight current black elected officials in the District have been or are currently under investigation for alleged ethics violations or possible criminal activities. In the age of Obama, it’s disappointing to witness the stunningly flawed character and mediocre substance of this city’s black leaders.
The irony in all this is that from 2009 to earlier this year, Thomas railed against former Mayor Adrian Fenty and two private business owners, falsely accusing them, during a lengthy council investigation, of all sorts of criminal activity. But off the dais and behind the scenes, Thomas apparently was stuffing his pockets with money set aside for poor children.
“The hypocrisy of it all is deafening,” said A. Scott Bolden, a lawyer with Reed Smith who represented the business owners during that probe.
But instead of demanding Thomas step down — as current Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker did when Leslie Johnson insisted on serving after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit federal witness and evidence tampering — many District elected officials have remained mum. Others have sought, sotto voce, to shield Thomas.
Consider, for example, that Mayor Vincent Gray chose to release a report on his accomplishments for his first six months in office on Friday — the same day Nathan announced the Thomas settlement. Perhaps Gray thought he could redirect the media’s attention away from the travails of his political ally.
If Thomas doesn’t voluntarily resign, residents should move to recall him as soon as the law permits. He can’t be allowed to receive a pass because he is black and serving a predominantly black ward.
We all know the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. didn’t die to advance the careers of corrupt black politicians.
Jonetta Rose Barras’ column appears on Monday and Wednesday. She can be reached at [email protected].
