PRESS RELEASECouncil of the District of Columbia
Office of Chairman Vincent C. GrayThe John A. Wilson Building350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NWWashington, D.C. 20004 ____________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release: Contact: Doxie A. McCoyJuly 14, 2009 202-724-8032
Council Passes Gray Resolution to Launch Independent Investigation of Council Contracts and Earmarks
Washington DC -- D.C. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray today led unanimous passage of the“Council Contracts and Grants Investigation Authorization Resolution,” legislation he introducedto set in motion an independent investigation into the personal service contract awarded toDonna Watts-Brighthaupt for services provided to Councilmember Marion Barry. The primary purpose of the investigation will be to determine whether these contracts were in compliancewith District laws and Council rules, policies, and procedures. However, the resolution alsostipulates that the investigation will include “a thorough review” of District laws and Councilrules, policies and procedures governing personal service contracts by Councilmembers, as wellas Council grants awarded to organizations through the budget process. These grants arecommonly referred to as earmarks.Chairman Gray announced on Friday he has chosen Robert S. Bennett, a partner at the law firmof Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, to conduct the investigation on a pro bono basis, andto make recommendations for any necessary changes to avert possible conflicts of interest andquestionable practices in contracting and grant-making in the future. Bennett is a former federal prosecutor who has tried numerous high-profile cases and has served as Special Counsel to theU.S. Senate’s Select Committee on Ethics in several major investigations.“Empowering Mr. Bennett to conduct this important independent inquiry is a logical step toensure the public that the Council wants to quickly get answers to questions raised about theWatts-Brighthaupt contract and whether all laws and regulations were followed,” Chairman Graysaid. “Moreover, I believe widening the scope of the investigation to include a review of earmarks is appropriate, considering the questions raised about these grants.”The Council approved new grant-making requirements at the start of this legislative period inJanuary 2009 that Gray proposed, following adoption of an interim set of rules in July 2008. For example, organizations must be a 501(c)(3) or have a fiscal agent with that IRS designation, and be subject to a city audit. Other rules prohibit an organization from receiving earmarks inconsecutive years, and set funding limits.In the wake of the Barry contract controversy, Chairman Gray also announced Friday that he isdeveloping a code of conduct and ethics for Councilmembers and staff. In March he directed the
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Press release: Council Passes Gray Resolution to Launch Independent Investigation of Council Contracts and Earmarks, July 14, 2009
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