Kwame Brown Expected to be Charged with Fraud

[jsteele]

According to my Twitter timeline, DC Council Chairman Kwame Brown will be charged with fraud today for lying on a credit card application. He is expected to announce his resignation shortly.

Last July, I wrote an article calling on Brown to resign. I wish he would have followed my advice then, but I guess late is better than never:

http://www.dcurbanmom.com/weblog/2011/02/21/kwame-brown

[Anonymous]

Ugh, ugh, and triple ugh. If this is true, why did they not charge him a long time ago. They should have charged him so that his resignation coordinated with the last special election. Gag, another special election. More trash hanging on the poles in the streets, in the yards, on billboards. More money to fund the special elections. DC coffers are not overflowing in untapped funds for these elections. Ugly!

[Anonymous]

What about his alleged misuse of campaign funds?

[jsteele]

My understanding is that the special election to fill the Council Chair seat will be able to be combined with the November general election. So that will ease some of 13:33's concerns. We won't know the details until later (probably when Brown goes to Court to plead guilty), but I expect that fraud charge is something Brown pled to and no charges will be pressed concerning his campaign funds. Yesterday, Brown was quoted as saying something along the lines of "I didn't break any laws in my 2008 campaign". Nicely, skips over laws he broke with regard to credit card applications.

[Anonymous]

Marion Barry, Harry Thomas Jr and now Kwame Brown...what a wonderful batch of elected officials. Why is it so hard to find an honest politician? Believe me, I do know that this is not restricted to DC. There are corrupt and dishonest politicians in many, many jurisdictions, but there's been a rash in DC recently.

[Anonymous]

I wonder is the goal is to get rid of Kwame first so that they can go after Grey without fear of Brown becoming mayor. Cleaning house!

[jsteele]

Apparently, Mary Cheh will become temporary Chair and oversee the Council's selection of an Interim Chair. The Interim Chair has to be an At-Large CM which means Michael Brown, Orange, Catania, or Mendelson. Most people are expecting Mendelson. Then, a special election will be held in conjunction with the Nov. General Election to choose someone to fill out the rest of Kwame Brown's term.

[Anonymous]

jsteele wrote:Apparently, Mary Cheh will become temporary Chair and oversee the Council's selection of an Interim Chair. The Interim Chair has to be an At-Large CM which means Michael Brown, Orange, Catania, or Mendelson. Most people are expecting Mendelson. Then, a special election will be held in conjunction with the Nov. General Election to choose someone to fill out the rest of Kwame Brown's term.

Would Cheh be temp mayor if they knock off Grey like they did his minions?

[Anonymous]

Lying on a credit report is skimpy stuff. Don't they have more to go after him with?

[jsteele]

Brown has now been charged with one count felony bank fraud.

I think Cheh will only lead the Council for a few days, if even that. She just needs to oversee the selection of an interim Chair. However, the interim chair could potentially become the interim mayor if Gray resigns. I still except Gray to survive, but wouldn't lose sleep if I'm wrong.

[jsteele]

Anonymous wrote:Lying on a credit report is skimpy stuff. Don't they have more to go after him with?

It's a felony, and remember, that's what he will plead to. Who knows what they had on him to get the plea.

[jsteele]

Brown lied on on credit card app. to buy a boat. Thomas stole money to buy an SUV. These guys need to look into Capital Bikeshare.

[jsteele]

Earlier, everyone was referring to the application as a credit card application. Now, it looks like it was a home equity loan application. Kwame overstated the value of his home in order to get a larger loan.

[Anonymous]

You know what this means?

Taxes are going uP!

[Anonymous]

Jeff,

This is why people move to the fucking 'burbs. We can't even elect normal competent people to run our city government. Put aside party affiliation for a second, think about how stupid we look and how our legislature looks. And yet we love the closed primary, the old race based pols and the third world governance. I like Evans, Bowser and Catania but I think we're at a "Throw the Bums" out stage in DC.