March

I'd like to say that when I endorsed Sekou Biddle on February 2 for an At Large seat on the DC Council, I started a trend. Since that date, Biddle has collected a list of endorsements that spans the DC political spectrum. However, that trend had already been started weeks earlier when Bryan Weaver had offered his endorsement for Biddle. While I can't lay claim to being a trend-setter, I can brag about having been correct in at least one respect. I described Biddle as the one candidate capable of uniting disparate factions of District residents. The subsequent endorsements have certainly borne that out.

The breadth of Biddle's support is most evident in his newspaper endorsements. The establishment Washington Post, the alternative Washington City Paper, and the staid Current Newspapers have all given Biddle the nod. Harry Jaffe of the Washington Examiner has also offered Biddle his endorsement. Jaffe writes, "He's smart, daring, energetic and can start changing the game."

Just over a year ago, I responded to a series of tweets promoting the At Large Council Member candidacy of Bryan Weaver by tweeting, "What, if anything, does Weaver propose to do about corporate contributions? It's the LLCs that really distort things." I believed then, as I continue to believe now, that the tactic of individuals contributing multiple maximum campaign contributions through corporate entities under their control undermines the District of Columbia's campaign contribution limit. In response to my tweet, I learned that Weaver held a position almost identical to my own. Weaver has now gone beyond simply making corporate contributions a campaign issue and formed an organization called D.C. Public Trust which has organized a voter initiative to ban direct political donations from corporations to local candidates, constituent services funds, transition and inaugural committees, and legal defense funds.

At Large City Council Member Vincent Orange has admitted that campaign contributions linked to a city contractor currently under federal investigation are "suspicious and questionable." Orange's ties to Jeffrey E. Thompson have been under the spotlight since federal agents raided Thompson's home and office on March 2. Several of Orange's campaign contributions linked to Thompson were in the form of money orders. Now, Orange's admission strengthens suspicions that the money orders -- many for the maximum donation of $1,000 -- were utilized in order to circumvent DC's contribution limits.

In the movie "Trading Places", Randolph and Mortimer Duke attempt to make huge financial gains by purchasing orange juice futures. Similarly, over the past few years, deep-pocketed businessmen in the District of Columbia have purchased Orange futures. Vincent Orange futures, that is. While the Duke Brothers were imaginary characters in a comedy movie, those buying Vincent Orange futures are all too real, and the result is not the least bit funny.

As previously reported on this blog, local gas station monopolist Joe Mamo contributed $9,000 via companies he controls to Vincent Orange's At Large Council re-election campaign. That purchase of Orange futures paid off when Orange was the deciding vote to defeat a bill that would have lowered gas prices and ended the gas station monopoly in DC.