D.C. Spending Big on Baseball Consultants

Bringing baseball to D.C. won't cost taxpayers anything -- or will it?  A new WTOP Radio investigation reveals that the District of Columbia has spent nearly $500,000 on consultants to help with bringing baseball here.  Documents obtained by WTOP through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), spell out the details. The documents show the city has paid at least $465,000 to consultants linked to baseball.  One of the consultants brought on board is Ira Sockowitz. He was contracted for $75,000 to manage the mayor's baseball war room, to help win council approval of a new stadium. Sockowitz was an appointee of former President Bill Clinton at the U.S. Department of Commerce.  After the death of Commerce Secretary Ron Brown, Sockowitz was accused of taking top secret documents. He was never charged with any wrongdoing and says he returned the documents. Another consultant hired by the District is a city council member from Oakland, Calif. Jane Brunner was a staunch supporter of D.C.'s City Administrator Robbert Bobb when he was City Manager of Oakland. Documents show Brunner is being paid $90,000 by the city to negotiate labor agreements for the new stadium.  D.C. pays for travel and related expenses, so Brunner can come to the nation's capital from California.[more]