ANC6B Calls for City Council to Suspend CM Jack Evans from Committee Posts

ANC6B met last night at Hill Center. L-R: Commissioners Jerry Sroufe, Denise Krepp, Steve Holtzman, Brian Ready, Chair Chander Jayaraman, Kasie Clark, Kellie Waud, Jennifer Samolyk, Corey Holman, Kirsten Oldenburg.  All except Sroufe and Oldenburg supported the Evans Resolution.  Both explained their opposition – see below at end of post.  

ANC6B Calls for City Council to Suspend CM Jack Evans from Committee Posts

by Larry Janezich

Councilmember Jack Evans is under fire – pay to play allegations that he used his office and prestige for private gain.  Last night, ANC6B  voted 8 – 2 for a resolution calling on the DC City Council to temporarily suspend CM Jack Evans from the Committee on Finance and Revenue which he chairs, and as a member of the Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety.  The resolution was introduced by Commissioner Denise Krepp.

The resolution is similar to a resolution passed unanimously by ANC1C (Adams Morgan) last week.  The initial language appears to have been the handiwork of Commissioner Erin Palmer, ANC4B (far Northwest).  Rachel Kurzius of the DCist reported last week that some 15 ANC commissioners have signed on to an open letter calling for removal of Evans from his chairmanship of the finance committee.

Evans is the focus of a federal investigation by the U.S. Attorney and the FBI, an investigation by WAMAT’s ethics officer, and perhaps the District’s D.C. Board of Ethics and Government Accountability.  City Council Chair Mendelsohn has resisted demands for a special investigation by an entity of the Council in light of these other probes.

Hine Developer Among those subpoenaed by Feds

On March 8, the Washington Post reported federal subpoenas directing the preservation of documents and communications related to Evans had been issued to the DC Council and the office of Mayor Bowser.  Also on the list of those subpoenaed are the Hine developer Anthony Lanier and Eastbanc, and Hine development partner, Colonial Parking.  Others include the law firms Squire Patton Boggs and Manatt, Phelps and Phillips, Evan’s consulting firm, Exelon, Willco Construction, EagleBank, the electrical design firm M.C. Dean, and Digi Outdoor Media.

The DC City Council has scheduled a vote on a resolution of reprimand for Evans next week.

Prior to the vote, Oldenburg said she would oppose the resolution, saying that the matter was better left handled by the Council.  Afterward, Sroufe said that he thought the resolution was outside the realm of ANC matters and would have no impact on the Council’s decision.  He said, “There are things closer to home that we could be addressing.”