After Geting Caught in Lie, DC Official Returns Lincoln Navigator City Paid for

From [HERE] D.C. Council Chairman Kwame R. Brown announced this afternoon that he is returning a Lincoln Navigator SUV to the city fleet, two days after the Washington Post reported that two such vehicles, with luxury options, were procured for him at a cost of nearly $2,000 a month apiece. He says in a statement that he regrets appearing insensitive to the city's financial situation. D.C. is facing a budget shortfall that could reach $600 million.

Brown says he has returned the vehicle to the Department of Public Works, and the department will consult with the attorney general's office about renegotiating the lease.

Despite his initial denials to the contrary, the Post reported Sunday that Brown specifically requested the luxury SUV. The Post reported that the District is paying for two leases because the first vehicle procured for Brown didn't have the interior he wanted. Brown says in his statement that he didn't know until this weekend that the city was still paying for the first vehicle.

Brown's statement:

I apologize for the disruption this has caused, and I regret that I appeared insensitive to the financial challenges our city and residents face. As Chairman of the Council, it is my duty to make responsible fiscal decisions regarding the District's use of tax payer dollars. The fact that DPW procured the vehicle for nearly $2,000 a month is an unacceptable use of city funds.

I have made that clear to DPW Director, Bill Howland, and returned the vehicle to DPW today. DPW, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, will make a determination regarding the disposition of the lease. I intend to reimburse the city for my share of the use of the vehicle once the Attorney General renegotiates the lease agreement.

To be clear, I have returned the only vehicle of which I have had possession in my capacity as Chairman of the Council. The first Lincoln Navigator procured by DPW was returned to DPW, and it was my understanding that the vehicle would be returned to the leasing company at no cost to the District. I learned just this weekend that the vehicle was maintained as part of the District fleet.

I look forward to continuing to focus on education reform, getting our people back to work and getting the District's economy back on track.

Gray responds to Chmn. Brown's SUV purchases

WASHINGTON -- D.C. Mayor Vince Gray made his first public comments about the controversy surrounding D.C. Council Chairman Kwame Brown's fully loaded SUV. He defended his decision to give high paying government jobs to relatives of his top advisors. Gray also defended the high salaries some of his staff are paid.

 The 5 minute exchange became so heated, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley interrupted to change the topic. He said: 

"I worked with Kwame Brown for the last six plus years. I find him to be an excellent and prudent financial decision-maker.

"I'm sure Chairman Brown will work his way through these problems."

10:32 a.m., speaking about nepotism in D.C. government hires and cronyism:

Gray: I don't think there's any relationship at all to (hiring employees' children) and what went on during the campaign.

On the campaign, I was discussing cronyism in city contracts.

(The hired children of D.C. employees) are qualified for the positions they were hired into. "Why shouldn't they be treated just like every other person is treated in the District of Columbia?"

10:27 a.m., speaking about executive office salaries:

Gray: The payroll is not bloated. We have eliminated positions, and adopted a different management approach.

We have four deputy mayors, whereas the previous administration had two.

But we've also eliminated a lot of policy analyst positions.

"If you go through the city administrator's office, you'll find 20-30 less analysts than were there before." [MORE]