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[quote=jsteele]It seems like every few hours the Washington Post is publishing more information about this. The latest comes from:

D.C. officials turn to Bowser supporter for answers in Park Southern controversy
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/dc-officials-turn-to-bowser-supporter-for-answers-in-park-southern-controversy/2014/07/16/9136947e-0d0a-11e4-8341-b8072b1e7348_story.html

This story focuses on Phinis Jones:

"Phinis Jones is a former property manager at Park Southern Apartments, a sprawling set of towers along the District’s southern border that has fallen into deep disrepair, with mold, broken pipes, a leaky roof and rodent infestations amounting to daily indignations for its 700 residents. The property has become the subject of scrutiny after a Washington Post report detailing the building’s dilapidated conditions and its owner’s default on a $3 million city-backed loan."

"For two months, Jones resisted requests by the D.C. attorney general’s office and Department of Housing and Community Development to relinquish the funds. On Wednesday, Gray and his housing director, Michael Kelly, announced that Jones had finally provided not the money but an accounting of how it was spent."

"Jones, eight companies he either controls or has a financial stake in, and an employee of one of those companies contributed a total of $20,000 to Bowser’s campaign."

I took a look at the Bowser's campaign finance records. I couldn't identify all eight of Jones' companies. I found six, plus his individual contribution. I think the pattern of giving money is interesting.

Over a year ago, Jones gave a personal contribution and CSMI, the company owned by Jones which is at the center of the Park Southern controversy gave maximum contributions on the same day:

Capitol Services Management, Inc./ Business	3200 MLK Ave SE Washington DC 20032	$2,000.00 	5/2/13
Jones, Phinis/ Individual	1847 Woodmont Place SE Washington DC 20020	$2,000.00 	5/2/13

Then, this past January, another of Jones' companies gave a maximum contribution (this was 10 days after Bowser won the Ward 8 straw poll):

Lorna Group/ Corporation	3200 Martin Luther King Washington DC 20032	$2,000.00 	1/28/14

The primary was held on April 1. On April 2, the District government took over Park Southern. At this point, Bowser should have been aware that her close associate was involved in the controversy. Soon after this date, she began contacting Administration officials demanding legal justifications for the takeover and trying to arrange a private meeting (but failing to hold a hearing requested by the Administration).

In June, Jones bundled several maximum contributions from companies under his control:

Old Congress Heights Redevelopment Corporatio/ Corporation	3200 Martin Luther King Avenue, SE Washington DC 20032	$2,000.00 	6/10/14
Independent Holding Corporation/ Corporation	3200 Martin Luther King Avenue, SE Washington DC 20032	$2,000.00 	6/10/14
P & M Development Corporation/ Corporation	3200 Martin Luther King Avenue, SE Washington DC 20032	$2,000.00 	6/10/14
3231 Martin Luther King Corporation/ Corporation	3200 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SE Washington DC 20032	$2,000.00 	6/10/14

Incidentally, the Old Congress Heights Redevelopment Corporation main undertaking was the redevelopment of the Old Congress Heights school into Imagine Public Charter School. Bowser held her primary night victory party at Imagine PCS.

So, just to be clear, Bowser accepted at least $8,000 from an individual that she knew to be involved in a housing controversy while she was chairing the committee responsible for housing issues. At that time, she was challenging Administration actions in the controversy, essentially siding with Jones against the 700 residents of Park Southern (and against DC taxpayers who were on the hook for a loan that hadn't been paid in three years). Counting money contributed before the takeover of Park Southern, Bowser received at least $14,000 from Jones or companies he controls. The Post puts the figure closer to $20,000.

This is the candidate who proposes to clean up the District in the wake of the Gray controversies.

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