The fishy fire truck testimony delivered last Thursday by Peaceoholics co-founder Ronald Moten before the D.C. Council was plenty dramatic, but the drama apparently did not end with the pound of the gavel.

Since then, a classic council-executive scuffle has broken out over broadcasts of the proceeding on city cable, with allegations flying that Mayor Adrian M. Fenty himself has become personally involved.

Because Thursday’s proceeding was considered a “public deposition” rather than a council hearing (it was supposed to be behind closed doors until Moten demanded otherwise), the councilmembers heading up the fire truck investigation—Mary Cheh and Phil Mendelson—determined that its contents should not be disseminated. That’s in keeping with the usual council practice on depositions, which are kept under wraps, so other witnesses won’t change their testimony to make their stories consistent (Never mind that LL and other reporters already did plenty of disseminating.)

Read More “D.C. Council Riled Over TV Airing of Fire Truck Testimony” »

The new bids on the long controversial D.C. Lottery contract were due today at 2 p.m.; this is what LL has thus far been able to suss out.

Rhode Island-based GTECH, which ditched longtime partner Leonard Manning in May, has found a bevy of local partners with appeal across the local political spectrum. Long story short, their team has been meticulously constructed to ensure broad support on the D.C. Council, which derailed the last contract award.

From the Fenty axis, you have Darryl Wiggins. A local businessman, he’s been a longtime political ally of Fenty’s dating back to the his first council campaign. He also was a key member of Hizzoner’s transition operation in 2006. He owns Document Managers, a business that’s done a lot of business with District government and has experience in managing large tech enterprises, which is what running the lottery involves. (For further Fenty ties, his political guru, Tom Lindenfeld, has been hired by GTECH as a consultant.)

Read More “New D.C. Lottery Bids: Woodson, Wiggins, Green Emerge as Local Partners” »

Bill Rice, longtime local government spokesperson and political junkie, has left the District’s employ.

Rice, most recently spokesperson for the Office of Property Management, has spent many years at the city transportation department under director Dan Tangherlini. Rice’s ousting comes weeks after Tangherlini’s departure to federal government.

Rice was informed that his OPM position had been eliminated. That move comes after the city announced a serious revenue shortfall Monday, though it’s not at all clear that immediate budget cuts would be necessary—the council is likely to vote to tap budget reserves. And for fiscal 2010, which starts Oct. 1 of this year, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty proposed in his budget plan adding an additional two employees to the agency’s communications staff.

Read More “Political Fixture Bill Rice Let Go from District Job” »

Fire Chief Dennis Rubin with Adrian Fenty at a press conference yesterday

Fenty is expected to make remarks on the red line crash this morning at 8:00 a.m. We’ll be live-blogging the press conference here.

8:01 a.m. Mayor Adrian Fenty, Fire Chief Dennis Rubin, Councilmember Jim Graham step up.

8:02 a.m. Fenty says he wants the country to know that his first efforts are with the families and friends of the victims. 76 people were taken off of the train to the hospital. Yesterday, six were confirmed dead. This morning, the number of confirmed dead is seven. Not nine as previously reported.

Read More “Fenty Press Conference #3: Liveblog” »

With a mere 15 months remaining until Primary Day 2010, LL thought he would run down who is thus far committed to electoral runs—committed, in the sense of actually having filed papers with the Office of Campaign Finance.

Mayor

• Incumbent Adrian M. Fenty—Duh. Dude’s got at least $2 million in the bank.
• Sulaimon Brown—D.C. Wire had the scoop on this 38-year-old former Fenty volunteer’s challenge. He established his committee on May 5. His Web site fronts a pic with him and Barack Obama where Barack Obama does not seem to be acknowledging his existence.
• Faith, the exotic dancer turned trumpet-tooting, horse-riding perennial candidate, filed her papers on May 1.

Read More “DCision 2010: It’s Gonna Have Faith! And Anthony Motley!” »

Today, the various crime bills are being debated as I write this item. You can read the complete and competing bills here. The Post has gathered up the pro and con surrounding the controversial proposal to take gangs or gang members to civil court. The Post writes:

The provision — drafted by the administration of Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) — would allow authorities to target alleged gang members in civil proceedings. A prosecutor could obtain an injunction barring an alleged gang member from engaging in a range of activities, including such nuisance offenses as harassing passersby on the street.

Loose Lips is liveblogging the big crime bill debate. This afternoon, I talked to a veteran D.C. Police official who has vast experience with drug and gang cases. I wanted to know their thoughts on the crime bills and the civil-court provisions.

They basically thought the crime bill(s) were a waste of time.

Read More “One Veteran Cop on the Crime Bill Grandstanding” »

The next local election day might be some 15 months off, but Saturday’s Capital Pride parade still had a political charge—mostly due to the recent heat on gay marriage, but also thanks to a mayoral campaign kicking into full gear and possible council challenger in the mix.

LL was there with camera. Behold!

Read More “LL’s 2009 Capital Pride Reviewing Stand” »

Mayor Adrian M. Fenty is scheduled to convene a press conference with local and federal law enforcement officials at 11 a.m. It’s already about 15 minutes overdue; but we’re ready whenever they get started.

11:30: Seriously, WTF Fenty? What is the holdup here?

11:47: Fenty begins by offering condolences to the Johns family.

11:48: Fenty confirms shooter is James von Brunn. He thanks guards: “Their efforts to bring this gunman down to quickly literally saved the lives of countless people.”

11:49: Von Brunn will be charged, Fenty says. MPD, FBI “are following up on several leads.” ADL is in attendance.

11:50: “We will get past this…The District remains an open, safe city for tourists and visitors.”

Read More “Liveblog: Holocaust Museum Shooting Press Conference” »

A couple weeks old, but new to LL: Men’s Fitness, noted authority on men’s fitness, has included Mayor Adrian M. Fenty in its yearly tally of high-profile specimens of masculinity.

Here’s what the mag has to say about Hizzoner, he of the early-morning interval runs and mid-day bike rides around Hains Point:

“I’m training as much as humanly possible,” says the leader of the nation’s capital. Fenty exercises like a pro athlete—rigorously and regimented—despite having a crazy schedule. “The chance of getting a workout once a day has gone down dramatically,” he says. Three times every week, he gets in a long early-morning run and also swims and cycles when he can. Fenty has prioritized public health as well, renovating several city playing fields and starting a youth triathlon camp. He’s built it, now he’s hoping citizens will come. “I think people have been really responsive,” he says.

On the list, Fenty (aka “The Mayor”) joins the likes of Hugh Jackman (aka “The Blockbuster”), Clive Owen (”The Leading Man”), Larry Fitzgerald (”The Freak”), Usain Bolt (”The Lightning”), Tim Tebow (”The Champion”), LeBron James (”The One”), and…uh, Richard Branson (”The Fly Guy”).

But beware, Mr. Mayor—there may be a Men’s Fitness curse at play here: Named fittest of them all was none other than top-ranked tennis Rafael Nadal, who hasn’t done so well of late.

The Department of Motor Vehicles this afternoon was kind enough to forward on this picture of Mayor Adrian M. Fenty speeding, in response to a records request by LL.

According to the camera readout [PDF], the mayoral Smart Car was doing 43 in a 30 mph zone at 3:19 p.m. on May 11.

LL first disclosed the mayoral speeding ticket last week. Fenty spokesperson Mafara Hobson explained that Hizzoner had been attending a walkthrough at the Watts Branch Rec Center in far Northeast Washington before heading to a press conference at DCPS headquarters on North Capitol Street—about 60 blocks from where the ticket was issued.

The presser was scheduled for 3:15, which would explain the lead foot.

A few more details have emerged regarding Mayor Adrian M. Fenty’s travel schedule. Not a whole lot—but a few.

The revelations come from documents obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request filed in April by Judicial Watch, the conservative watchdog group famous for bulldogging Bill Clinton during his presidency, in addition to other various, mostly Democratic politicians.

The 17-page set of documents [PDF] shows how Fenty, in December 2007, received an invitation from acting Beijing mayor Guo Jinlong. While in China, according to a draft itinerary, Fenty was scheduled to take tours of the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and the historic Beijing neighborhoods known as hutongs, and he was also slated to attend a reception at the Capital Museum hosted by the municipal government.

According to an accounting signed by District Secretary Stephanie D. Scott, Fenty also visited Shanghai and Hong Kong. The Beijing and Shanghai governments gave in-kind gifts totaling $8,800 for accommodations, food, and transportation; the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship, associated with the Chinese government, gave $2,500 toward additional transportation expenses.

As for his controversial trip to the United Arab Emirates, fewer details are to be had. The trip was valued at $25,000, and the donor was listed as Yousef Al-Otaiba, UAE’s ambassador to the U.S. and Mexico. The purpose of the trip was listed in city documents as “Cultural and economic exchange,” but no itineraries were provided.

Perhaps most interesting is an accounting of Fenty’s travel paid for by the city. A spreadsheet lists eight trips taken during his first 18 months in office. A couple were known—his trips to the yearly shopping center conference in Las Vegas. He also traveled to New York on four occasions, twice simply for “Meetings,” once for “Education Meetings,” and once for an “Agency Rating.” Fenty traveled to Dallas in May 2008 to give a graduation speech at Paul Quinn College, a historically black institution with fewer than 1,000 students; less than a month later, he attended the U.S. Conference of Mayors annual meeting in Miami. Those trips, together, cost taxpayers about $2,600.

Those of you searching for a candidate chomping at the bit to take on Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and his $2 million-plus war chest, look out: An honest-to-God 2010 mayoral challenger has made his first nibble.

Well, his dad has, anyway.

Marshall Brown, the longtime political organizer and father of At-Large Councilmember Kwame R. Brown, sent out an e-mail on Sunday night soliciting support for a mayoral draft campaign aimed at his son.

“Would you lend your name to the Kwame Brown for Mayor Draft Committee,” the short e-mail asks, telling recipients to “send this to your email list.” Two sources consulted by LL also report getting calls from Marshall Brown inquiring whether they might lend support to a Kwame-for-Mayor campaign.

Read More “Kwame Brown’s Dad Collecting Names for Mayoral Run” »

Well, LL is assuming this is fake.

In any case, Twitter user “fentydc” is off to a strong start:

• Storms ruining my planned evening work out. May have to limit it to running 12 miles 44 minutes ago from Power Twitter
• And YES, I am driving myself home tonight about 1 hour ago from web
• @FamousDC That guy is so unhealthy. I much prefer a lunch of skinless chicken and Powerbars about 1 hour ago from web in reply to FamousDC
• Geez, Who knew those little SmartCars could go so fast? about 1 hour ago from web

While us city hall reporter types are on the subject of the mayor’s personal conveyance, LL ran the mayor’s plates (CV-6154) through the DMV ticket payment database.

He got a hit!

The mayor’s Smart Car Fortwo Passion Cabriolet picked up a $50 ticket on Monday, May 11, for ‘SPEED 11-15 OVR LIMT’ while going westbound on the 5500 block of East Capitol Street NE [screenshot].

Mafara Hobson, mayoral spokesperson, says the ticket was issued by a camera. (Makes sense—LL would love to meet the cop with the balls to write the mayor a speeding ticket.)

Hobson says that Fenty was driving the car when the ticket was issued.

OK, but what was Hizzoner doing in the far eastern reaches of the District—just blocks from Prince George’s County? That’s a question that Fenty’s public schedule doesn’t quite answer; there were no events that day in the vicinity.

Read More “Adrian Fenty’s Smart Car Got a Speeding Ticket” »

The mayor and at least a half-dozen councilmembers in in Las Vegas today for the International Council of Shopping Centers’ annual retail real estate convention. So where the party at?

In the Wynn Las Vegas’ Alsace Room:

Law firm Arent Fox (new employer of Tony Williams, as it happens) is hosting the signature event for local politicos at this year’s Vegas confab.

Question is, how many “other District of Columbia officials” will show at an event headlined by Adrian Fenty? With council resentment inflamed by tickets, travel, and what have you—and the chance for a repeat of last year’s Vegas conflict, when Fenty’s people scheduled meetings separate from councilmembers—things could get, um, interesting. LL had heard late last week that Yvette Alexander had been the only councilmember to RSVP. For LL’s sake, he hopes everyone shows up: Nothing like clashing personalities, booze, and a small room far away from home to create LL-caliber drama.

He’ll be taking party reports.