Read: Cheh’s Report on Gray’s Hiring
Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh says that Mayor Vince Gray needs to either reduce some of his top aides' salaries or get council approval for the high pay.
Cheh's released a committee report today that says there are eight Gray staffers whose salaries exceed the council's cap.
They are: Gray's chief of staff Gerri Mason Hall and the city administrator's chief of staff Warren Graves, whose salaries should be capped at $193,125. The report says that six agency directors— Department of Health Director Mohammed Ahkter, interim H.R. director Judy Banks, Fire Chief Kenneth Ellerby, Schools boss Kaya Henderson, A.G. Irv Nathan, and Department of Health Care Finance Director Wayne Turnage—top out above the council-approved cap of $179,096 for agency bosses.
Cheh's report says that it appreciates that Gray needs "flexibility" to pay for top talent, but "nevertheless, the mayor must seek council approval" before doleing out the big bucks.
The rest of the report pretty much gives Gray a pass on all the other hiring problems that have engulfed his administration lately. On charges of nepotism, the report says it hasn't found any evidence of senior Gray officials acting improperly and notes that "intra-familial has occurred in previous administrations."
The report apparently provoked some strong reaction from Councilmember David Catania, who dubbed it a "whitewash." (LL wasn't at the hearing where the report was released, but LL No. 6 Mike DeBonis did a great job live tweeting the back and forth.) Also at the hearing, Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr. got some digs in on Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells for releasing his report on Navigatorgate to the public before Well's committee had had a chance to read it.
DeBonis also notes that after the hearing, Catania said that Hall ought to be thinking about resigning given the Gray administration's recent troubles.
Here's the report, do you think it's a whitewash?
4:51 pm
About as hard hitting as the puff of air when opening a bag of Doritos.
At least Cheh carrying the water for Gray on this means Ward 3 roads will all be repaved this year!
4:51 pm
Al when are you going to release my comment from moderation in the Remember This Guy?
4:52 pm
Skipper did you read about Kelly Valentine?
4:52 pm
At some point, this constant barrage against the current DC Administration has to stop. Fenty lost the election so deal with it. Fenty has committed worse offenses, but the WaPost, LL and the other rags allowed the slip-ups to go all but unreported. The current attacks against Gray and "fully loaded" are getting real tired and fast--- Play nice children...
4:58 pm
At some point, Skip, the incompetence displayed by the current administration has to stop. Once (if) that occurs, barrages will cease. There is a vast difference between being a Fenty shill and being upset that this administration is rudderless...
5:08 pm
You can tell the District's infrastructure is a wreck when the head of Human Resources is paying herself more than the law allows. Uh-oh.
5:08 pm
Rake.. so have Agency heads steal millions and being convicted by the Feds is ok? That accecptalbe and whom should be back in power? It's somehow on par with the bull thats been publish thus far?
5:17 pm
What onecidiots don't get us that Fenty supporters are over it and are simply getting vindicated even sooner than we thought. It you all who just can't deal with the idea that we don't think he's going to be a good mayor. He's proving us right. Get angry at him, not us.
5:24 pm
Rake and Reid are right.
We always had our doubts about Gray, but in true "as fast as humanly possible style", Gray has fallen further and faster than we ever thought possible.
I wish it weren't so, but it is.
5:24 pm
I love it. The Committee is not aware of any specific allegation of undue influence (i.e., nepotism) in the hiring of Loraine Green's, Gerri Hall's, Linda Wharton-Boyd's, or Howard Brooks' children.
Perhaps the Committee should ask. Just a thought.
5:31 pm
Skip Jones --
Neither LL nor his editors worked at City Paper until very late in the Fenty administration, after the slip-ups you're talking about occurred (and after they'd been extensively reported on, including by the previous LL). But you may recall we did call Fenty a jerk on the cover of our paper a few weeks before the election, which I can't imagine he was thrilled about.
5:45 pm
It's interesting that Cheh believes that Henderson is above the cap of $179
I wonder did Fenty get approval to pay Rhee $275k. That sounds well above the 179k cap.
Mike, Alan, any knowledge of this?
7:01 pm
"Intrafamilial" also occurs in sex and marriage in West Virginia and Kentucky, as well as in hiring in the DC government.
7:19 pm
Interesting that rake, drez and the usual Fenty folks haven't left any comments on the Kelly Valentine story. There are only two...count them two comments. Ms. V is one of many unqualifed Agency heads who used her position to fund friends.
This shows that there are rules for some of ya'll and the same rules just don't apply to other....just because.
7:26 pm
I'm guessing the cap was instituted later, or that Fenty submitted Rhee's salary to the council for approval. Unlike Gray.
8:48 pm
Cheh's report seems to be a lawyerly list of excuses for Gray and his lack of management ability. It's sad to see Cheh as an apologist for Gray. I wonder what else she's doing for him.
9:00 pm
Really?:
Fenty fired Kelly V nearly a year ago. What else is there to say?
9:09 pm
Wait... Is the CA's CoS position new? I don't recall DanTan or Albert having a CoS.
Also, why would budgeting be done by the political side of the EOM (by Gray's CoS) and not on the CA's side? What is the rationale for that?
Just curious.
9:34 pm
It's a case of how many politicans does it take to be honest? NONE!
9:44 pm
Once again, this proves that the DC government is not capable of policing the ethics or allegations against local elected officials. Hopefully, there will be leadership from Capitol Hill is setting up an independent office to do the job that their committee on the hill does with regard to members of congress who violate ethics rules. DC Council passes again and who will investigate kwamegate?
10:00 pm
@drez, Wow! Just like that hunh? The immediate benefit of the doubt! Even though, if approved, it was 100k more than the current cap? A woman who, prior to 2007, was an obscure education professional?
Really guy, open your eyes, this is getting serious. You are now sounding a bit
like the one who flew over the vultures nest.
It would be interesting to know whether Fenty got approval.
Any reporters?
10:21 pm
This is not going on in the executive service. It is happen with management through out the government. People are being brouht on board with saleries 20 to 30 percent more than there previous employment. They are also remaking their organizations to give these new hires more opportunity to increase their salaries even more through rapid grade increases. Most of these practices goes under the radar because they are charging and approving these salaries based on federal project monies.
10:23 pm
Miss Catania just stated on Fox 5 News, the report doesn't have much teeth in it.
10:52 pm
It sounds to me like Loose Lips is still bitter that Fenty lost the election.
11:18 pm
The comments here illustrate why DC politics are so pathetic.
It is basically established fact that Gray is corrupt, but what does the Poverty Party One Citidiots do? Ridicule the last Mayor who didn't fit the poverty paradigm and the sexuality of the only politician in the city who cares about fiscal responsibility because their Baptist preacher stealing from the collection box and banging a couple parishioners on the side told them gays are bad. Meanwhile they enable Barry who has some desire to sit on the Council despite the fact he repeatedly asserts that it should have no oversight authority over the Administration and inferred during the Sessoms hearing that he had no problem with his behavior.
You all deserve Gowdy to take over the city.
2:46 am
Isn't the CFO responsible for the fiscal affairs of the District? Shouldn't he ensure that salaries paid are those authorized by law and do not exceed the limits established by law?
7:49 am
seis4me
yes, just like that and no, not just like that.
Think about it for a second:
Rhee was hired 4 years ago. If her salary was out of line the council should have brought it up back then. Do you remember who was on the council then?
Seriously, you're thinking is fuzzy.
8:27 am
@Reid, John Rambo - I have trademarked "One Citidiots". That'll be $4.75 please.
Really, interesting how all of those who think Gray and the One City crew is incompetent MUST be die hard Fenty supporters... I guess you have to look backwards when the current administration is indefensible.
I miss Tony Williams.
9:25 am
Rhee's salary was approved by the City Council, as was Allen Lew's when he was schools building czar.
The Gray excuse for illegally overpaying his top staff: Oh, well we always meant to get Council approval after the fact.
Cheh's reaction: Oh Vince, that's ok! Now please create that lovely bike trail on Klingle Road, and we'll forget all about these minor indiscretions.
Catania is right: Cheh's report is nothing but a whitewash of the Gray administration's illegal and unethical behaviors. She never would have put up with similar actions by the Fenty administration.
9:33 am
Sally
It's not that Cheh is "putting up with" these actions, it's that she is enabling them.
Even the premise of this "oversight" report is off target. Seriously, what's the greater sin? A few top officials getting a few thousand dollars more than they are supposed to? Or the hiring of unqualified cronies with demonstrated histories of theft, fraud, and overbilling into key positions where they can suck your taxdollars from the till.
That's what Ms ConLaw should be looking into. But, no, her office produces this piece of irrelevant crap so they can say they are exercising some sort of "oversight".
Bullshit.
9:47 am
Au contraire Drez who says "she was fired what more is there to say?" Seems like we just take what the paper reports at face value?
Valentine who was an unqualfied agency head With an annual salary of $147,848 (note that it's more than 110k)
What about the firing Really?
-Well “A Fenty spokesman did not respond to a question of whether Valentine would continue to draw a paycheck while on leave.
So Really what’s the knock on Kelly V?
-Kelly V mismanaged by failing to record and remit an estimated $8.7 million in deducted health and life insurance premiums
-Valentine gave lucrative contracts to her friends. Contracts ranging from health insurance coverage and private investigations were handed off to companies with ties to Valentine, according to whistleblowers.
-Well boys and girls and Drez Ms. Kell V asides from the FBI and the inspector general, city Auditor Deborah Nichols (see report in Al’s story with 2 counts) and the finance office's integrity team have also begun probes.
Anything more interesting with the Kelly V firing?
-of course… Fenty loyalist Chip Richardson will move from Fenty's general counsel to ORM's interim director.
Richardson represented Fenty before he was mayor when he was admonished by the D.C. Bar Association for legal malpractice.
Richardson also played a major role in the Fenty administration's ill-fated attempt to donate firetrucks to the Dominican Republic, and has also been admonished by the D.C. Bar Association for failing to pay $28,000 in child support payments.
So according to Drez it’s ok for certain folks (crooks) to draw $140k salary, It’s ok for certain loyalist to get a job in administration, it’s ok to use public funds to give to your friends, it is ok to fail to pay childsupport and still hold a job?
http://washingtonexaminer.com/local/beleaguered-dc-risk-management-head-ousted (hat tip to Al)
9:48 am
So Gray didn't get approval to pay his people in amounts exceeding the cap.
Bad move for Gray.
Ok, and moving on.
9:53 am
LOL @ Really
Gray won, Fenty's gone.
Deal with it and stop living in the past!
10:11 am
It's really unconscionable that Gray would ask for — or Council approve — higher salaries than the legal limit in this financial crisis. The people that put some of these hires in place should resign. This is becoming a buffoonish circus. "Arrogance" was the campaign cry against Fenty; well, where is the humility in this administration?
10:11 am
Drez, the election is over. Stop reliving the past with your usual bitterness and divisiveness.
10:14 am
@SEis4ME
LOL Who has time for the past, when so much shit is going on now!
One City, all lawyered up!
10:17 am
Really, that's a fascinating story, and you tell it with such enthusiasm. Now go back to complaining about your remember this guy comment, which I'm sure is brilliant.
At least for the next few months, and maybe for four years, Vince is the mayor. Therefore, his incompetence is the story here. Sorry One Citidiots.
10:29 am
To all the idiots who voted these crooks into office last November, SUFFER!
10:40 am
Well Drez and Rake....be sure to NEVER bring up the Barry days!
Which you guys won't. Again, incompetence is looked over for one administration and not the other. It shows how transparent the fake outrage is.
10:43 am
@MAD MIKE-IM STRUGGLING TO DO THIS BUT IMA HAVE TO COSIGN FOR YOU ON YOUR COMMENT #11. THE PIC ALONE CAUSED A PELATON PILE UP FROM WHICH HE WAS UNABLE TO MAKE UP GROUND.
I TRULY BELEIVE THAT PIC AND STORY PRETTY MUCH LET THE AIR OUT OF HIS TUBELESS TIRES AND HIS BID TO HOLD ONTO THE YELLOW JERSEY.
**********************************************************
@drez-HOMEBOY YOU NEED TO STOP. SO EXACTLY WHERE DO YOU STAND? YOU KEEP JUMPING THE FENCE WHEN IT'S CONVIENENT AND SOONER OR LATER YOU ARE GOING TO GET SNAGGED.
COMMENT #27 ". . . Do you remember who was on the council then?" IT'S OBVIOUS YOU DO. ARE YOU REFERENCING GRAY??? THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS WAS SHE WAS OVERPAID BY THE WORST MAYOR WDC EVER HAD!
COMMENT #33 "Gray won, Fenty's gone.
Deal with it and stop living in the past!" I THINK YOU AND THE REST OF THE HATERS SHOULD TOO.
AS FOR ME IMA CONTINUE TO POINT TO THE PREVIOUS ADMIN FUCK UPS BECAUSE THEY ARE RELAVENT TO COMPARE AND TO CONTRAST THE CURRENT ADMIN
11:09 am
All of you are seriously missing the point and you should stop having arguments about Fenty v. Gray.
Whatever cronyism, shady political deals or even criminal action took place during the Fenty administration is over. And really, whatever he was responsible for is no excuse for Gray to do the same thing. Remember how everyone voted for Gray because he promised NOT to run an administration like this? That's the issue. Not Fenty.
It seems that, political preferences aside, everyone deserves to be disappointed here. Wether it's because you think Fenty was better or because you expected more from Gray. At the end of the day, all this poor judgement and lack of control in the Gray administration is bad for all of us.
11:22 am
Thank you Jason. You are correct.
12:52 pm
you'r the man jason. i was sitting here thinking, i can't believe there's still a fight between fenty and gray fans. this was the most rediculous compaign ever. i mentioned the platform of gray's campaign as well in a previous blog. i don't understand how he based his whole campaign around fenty's action and then turn around and do the same thing and worst.
I'm not amazed though
1:25 pm
True, if over the cap salary reviews start today, how can it be effective w/o the removal of all existing Fenty's staff persons who still remains on DC payroll.
Yes, Fenty and Gray are both unfit for the role of Mayor in any city. Gray was welcomed in Ward 8 last night because Marion Barry rallied up Black folks with a forgiving heart.
Hopefully, this jerk don't let the Mayor for Life Down because Gray is known not to be trusted.
Now, let's talk about why it is necessary for the Council to decide on approving high salaries that are being recommended over the cap.
Today, the world stands in a recession from both dum ass Bush and local what-to-be a white boy Fenty.
Next, when will Linda Boyd-Wharton ask her five relatives to remove themselves from the office for which has hired them. Do not forget about Gray's girlfriend, Linda Greene whose daughter landed a job ALL with authority of Gray's old girl-friend Lorraine Green.
What about the existing Fenty's people, who were placed prior to his boot out of the Mayor's office into agencies as Employment Services, Human Services still sustaining high end salaries that remains incompetent as hell.
Moving on, Cherita Whiting when will she be removed from her position at DC Parks & Recreation.
Harry MUST stop protecting his weak ass friend, the undeserving Chairman Brown about the Navigator. The Former Chairman SUV was a chevy and Shortie got a fully loaded, who cared the least about the monthly expense, he must payback just the outcome.
Please, Thomas Jr. be quiet before Catania identifies with another relative in the Ward 5 front office.
4:00 pm
Gray campaigned on "Integrity. Character. Leadership."
Can anyone make an objective argument on how any of his actions with regards to these scandals have demonstrated integrity, character and/or leadership?
7:06 pm
I emailed each councilmember and asked simply, "Why is Cherita Whiting still employed?" To date, only Mary Cheh has responded. If any of you and this includes the Mayor, are under the very wrong impression this wind will soon blow over, please be advised it is only garnering more strength and when it comes again, Cyclone Cherita will return with the vengeance of a scorned woman. Hell hath no fury...Oh, what tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive. I strongly suggest to anyone providing her cover to count up the cost of protecting her. It's higher than the price of gas. I'm reminded of the Last Supper with Jesus and the twelve (12) councilmembers, I mean, disciples. Before one of them betrayed him, each of them asked, "Lord, is it I?" That question seems most appropriate right now. Look among yourselves and ask, "Is it I?" Will I have a starring role in the soon-to-be-released saga, "A Scandal Gray Can't Handle!?" By the way, David Catania is only partly right. To land a job on the Gray-V train, you have to be a member of the 4-F Club - Family, Friends, Freeloaders and Felons.
10:42 pm
@itsjustamess; I too wonder how long Cherita Whiting will last. I heard she and Ward 4 Muriel Bowser are enemies. LOL
Have you seen Cherita's fingernails? They are about 12 inches long and curl up painted different colors. LOL
Mayor Gray don't want to terminate Cherita Whiting because a scorned ghetto woman can become like Hurricane Hazel. LOL LOL
5:59 am
Southeast Ken, give the defenseless Cherita a break. Yvette Alexander needs scrutiny. A big fat legalize criminal.
10:07 am
@Tony - Don't worry...Yvette Alexander is a Goodyear blimp that's running out of steam. She's going to be like a bucket of chicken left in a fat boy's dorm room. She's bout to be ate up! Ron Moten called her trash but this broad stinks like a week's worth of garbage left in the sun. Her motto of "Making Ward 7 One" has morphed into "Making Ward 7 Puke!" My friends in Ward 7 have gone into the exterminating business and were planning to use a pic of Yvette lying on her back with her feet up in the air just like that roach on a can of Raid. But, that might violate copyright laws so they're going to use a grizzly bear swatting fish in the Anacostia River instead.
12:54 pm
When everybody else has to bite the bullet, so should these high salaried workers. All of these salaries should be no higher than the cap. As a matter of fact, I'm for going back to what the people voted for (term limits) and I'm for all city council members making a stipend for these partime jobs. The school board was taken off salary and the same should be done to the city council.
2:22 pm
Tony, did you know the Ward 7 Councilwoman is a natural blond? LOL LOL
It's so funny when I see a black woman wearing dyed blond hair or a blond wig.
2:34 am
Quote in Washington Times:
Gray campaign “consultant” Cherita Whiting, also a Fenty basher, was appointed “special assistant” in the Department of Parks and Recreation despite her admission she failed to disclose a felony conviction for wire fraud on her job application.
The Gray administration provided an application that conflicts with Ms. Whiting’s own account to an oversight committee, yet has refused to publicly disclose that document or an earlier one Ms. Whiting would have filed when she applied for a job with D.C. Council member Phil Mendelson, at-large Democrat.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/mar/13/stumbles-by-gray-disillusion-many-in-district/#
10:47 am
And Gray's Chief of Staff still has a job???