By jonetta rose barras on Oct 21, 2024 Last updated Oct 21, 2024

When I was growing up in a five-generation household in New Orleans, the elders passed around wives’ tales, family lore, adages and ethics lessons as frequently as they did crawfish bisque or jambalaya. My grandmother often warned that, “If you lie, you’ll steal and if you steal, you’ll kill.”

That was a slippery-slope exaggeration. However, I understood that she saw lying as a type of mortal sin. Over the years, my eyes have become accustomed to her vision.

I have been incredulous about the DC Council’s handling of Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White Sr.’s flagrant violation of the city’s Code of Conduct, financial disclosure laws and ethics standards, including credible allegations that he agreed to accept $156,000 in bribes from the manager of a nonprofit organization that had government contracts through the violence interrupters program, as outlined in an indictment filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Councilmembers and staffers suggested in their responses to questions from journalists, including myself, that they were adhering to council rules in establishing a special ad hoc committee and hiring independent legal investigators as they determine an official response to White’s behavior. However, in reviewing the documents released last month by the secretary of the council, who also serves as the legislature’s procurement officer, and responses from the council’s Office of the General Counsel to a request under the Freedom of Information Act sent originally to DC Council Chair Pro Tempore Kenyan McDuffie, it appears the legislature has breached its own protocols. Moreover, they still have not made clear the source of funding to cover the cost of hiring a private law firm, whose bill may be as high as $400,000. What’s also unclear is what that expenditure will achieve.

“No one is going to talk to the law firm,” said one attorney, who like others I interviewed over the past week requested anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the conversation about the mechanism established by the council and the potential results (or lack thereof).

“[White’s] lawyer is not going to let him speak with anyone; if he accidentally says the wrong thing, [that] could jeopardize his defense. Plus, the U.S. attorney has indicted him; the lawyers over there are not going to turn over to that law firm the U.S. attorney’s files, documents and information. They are going to protect their own witnesses,” offered another lawyer.

Those comments reflect the general consensus of other knowledgeable sources. Will any of that affect what the council is doing?

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