According to three sources familiar with the closed-door meeting to discuss the ramifications of Marion Barry's July 4 arrest, the councilmember apologized to his colleagues. He even made sure to apologize to Councilmember Jim Graham, who was late to the meeting.

One councilmember says that Barry confessed his love for the District and said that he was sorry that he hurt the council. "It really, really seemed heartfelt," the councilmember says. "His colleagues were pretty damn pissed off at him."

"He apologized to all the members," says another source. The source added that Barry almost cried during his mea culpa.

But Barry was clear about who he would not apologize to: the public.

At least one source did not walk away satisfied with the simple "I'm sorry." "What concerns me the most is the misuse of public funds," they told City Desk. "That's a crime. He got involved romantically and then hired them. It raises some very serious allegations... I hope that Marion appreciates that it's in his interest to [cooperate with the independent investigation]."

*Additional reporting by Mike DeBonis. Photo by Darrow Montgomery.

Donna Watts-Brighthaupt was presented with a sweet new deal from Councilmember Marion Barry just days before the July 4 incident. She rejected the offer, writing in an e-mail that she didn't want to sell her soul. We have the e-mails and the full narrative of her contract work.

*photo by Darrow Montgomery.

Last night, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced that it would not pursue the stalking charge against Councilmember Marion Barry. The charge stems from a July 4 incident in which Barry allegedly sought out ex-girlfriend Donna Watts-Brighthaupt in Anacostia Park. Watts-Brighthaupt was with her ex-husband Delonta Brighthaupt at the time Barry was pulled over by U.S. Park Police.

Brighthaupt is disappointed that prosecutors dropped the stalking charge against the councilmember. "They could have taken it to court to hear all sides," he tells City Desk. "I don’t like to see anybody locked up, but I’d like to see justice pursued.”

Brighthaupt says that night Barry re-entered his ex-girlfriend's home and continued to wait around for a while. Watts-Brighthaupt's neighbors confirm his account.

Neighbors interviewed say that Barry sat on Watts-Brighthaupt's front porch for a half hour. "I think I did see him that night sitting there on the porch," recalls George Dempsey, 83. "Just sitting."

Another neighbor of Watts-Brighthaupt's, Delorus Brown, 31, says she watched Barry go into his ex-girlfriend's house. She estimates that Barry was in the house for no more than 10 minutes. He then sat on the porch for a half hour. She says she saw Barry talking on his cellphone.

Brown says she took her kids over to meet Barry. The councilmember waved them off at first. Brown says that she heard Barry on his cell say: "He's not in the house."

After the phone call, Barry shook the kids' hands. Brown says Barry eventually left Watts-Brighthaupts' house and stopped his car at the end of Ridge Place in front of a home for pregnant girls. The manager of that facility confirms that he talked to the girls there, asking them how they were going to spend their July 4 holiday.

Brown says Barry then circled back to Brighthaupt's house. Eventually, Barry made his way into Anacostia Park.

Brighthaupt insists Barry wasn't merely driving home. "It wasn't just a regular ride through the park," he says. "He jumped in front of our vehicle. The police stopped him because he was driving erratically. He cuts us off. He [then stopped] and then the police stopped him."

Donna Watts-Brighthaupt has her own response to the U.S. Attorney's Office decision. Barry addressed the dropped charge at a press conference today.

*photo by Darrow Montgomery.

“I’m relieved it’s over," Watts-Brighthaupt says. "It’s a large price I’ve had to pay. I didn’t ask for this. I’ve learned such a large lesson in dealing with Marion. I’m not invincible. It’s unbelievable the type of person he is. But I wish him well. And I wish him good health. I’d really like him to do the best he can, do what he can for Ward 8 from this day forward.”

Do you think it’s possible he can be an effective councilmember? “No comment.”

Watts-Brighthaupt says that she had kept the recordings of Barry's declarations/pleas/long goodbyes not as payback. She says that he simply called so many times that she didn't even listen to them. She only started saving them in earnest after Barry began making trouble for her ex-husband Delonta Brighthaupt.

"My heart is so heavy," she says. "I worry mainly that I've disappointed my mom, family, and people that I truly thought highly of."

She goes on to say: "I knew how he was. I mistakenly thought I was invincible or that I could take the Barry machine….I think it’s a joke – the Barry Machine. But it’s not something I thought I’d have to deal with publicly. These things went on for a year privately. It strengthened me. It helped me to know what the worst person could be…..I’m now prepared. I’m going to take this as a life lesson.”

Watts-Brighthaupt says that she has no plans to file a civil suit against Barry. "Why bother?" she explains. "He doesn't have any money."

What would you do if Barry called again? “I guess he’d have to leave another voice mail."

"I'm just listening," she said quietly.

She was dressed in jeans, a thin sweater, t-shirt, and dark glasses. In her left hand, she held a drink from McDonald's. In the other, she held a cellphone.

She had found the cameras and the reporters and the microphones in front of the Wilson Building, and felt she needed to take it all in. She stood off to the side, away from the lights, and watched the woman talking into all those microphones.

At a little past 11 p.m. yesterday night, Marion Barry's spokesperson Natalie Williams had assembled the media throng for a quickie press conference to address allegations concerning the councilmember giving lucrative contract work to ex-girlfriend Donna Watts-Brighthaupt.The payments amounted to at least $20,000.

Williams began the presser with an attack on Watts-Brighthaupt. Reading from a typed script, she declared emphatically that the Barry Ex is "unstable" and had sought professional help at one point. This had nothing to do with the circumstances that led to the press conference---Barry's arrest for allegedly stalking Watts-Brighthaupt this past weekend. If she was so unstable, weren't these reasons enough not to hire her for those contract jobs?

Still, Williams kept on her talking point, repeating that word "unstable."

A few feet away, the girl stood still, trying to contain her anger and disappointment. She is 16. She mumbled that she is Watts-Brighthaupt's daughter.

"I'm trying to figure out why she's so unstable," she said of her mother, "when she's sending me off to college next year."

She said she's not surprised by Barry's wave of personal attacks against her mother. She explained: "He's Marion Barry."

There used to be a time not too long ago when Barry meant something important to her family. Although her mom broke things off with the councilmember shortly before his kidney-transplant surgery, she cared for him around-the-clock during his recuperation. "We cooked for him during his recovery," the daughter said. "Cooking and making sure he was comfortable. He had a team of people looking [after] him. Mom was part of the team."

After the press conference ended, she waited for her mom to pick her up. She said that she'll be graduating from high school in a year, that she hoped to attend Hampton University (where Effi Barry once taught). She said she wanted to major in political science.

Photo by Darrow Montgomery