To: Chairman Phil Mendelson

CC: Councilmembers Brianne Nadeau, Mary Cheh, Brandon Todd, Kenyan McDuffie, Charles Allen, Vince Gray, Trayon White, Anita Bonds, David Grosso, Elissa Silverman, and Robert White.

Dear Councilmembers,

We, the undersigned organizations, elected officials, and community leaders, are writing in the wake of serious allegations against Councilmember Jack Evans, including alleged corruption, ethics violations, and governance issues at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), because we believe his conduct has become a distraction from the priorities of DC residents and is hurting the Council’s ability to govern.

It’s time for Councilmember Jack Evans to step down from the Council. If he won’t do the right thing, the Council should act expeditiously to strip him of all of his committee assignments and remaining powers on the Council.

Councilmember Evans’ misconduct has been well documented in leading media outlets. His blatant attempts to use his public office for private financial gain, his being the subject of a federal grand jury investigation, and his resignation from the board of WMATA, make it impossible for him to continue business as usual as Chair of a Committee.

While the full facts are as yet unknown, Councilmember Evans has admitted that he has been found guilty of ethical violations by WMATA and the newly released memorandum from the law firm Schulte Roth and Zabel provide rich detail regarding some of those violations. The federal raid on his home on June 21st further underscores the seriousness of his misconduct and erodes public trust.

The Council can begin to restore this trust by taking the following immediate actions:

• Remove Councilmember Evans as Chair of the Finance and Revenue Committee, as well as removing him from all other Committees.

• Call for a public roundtable immediately following the Council’s summer recess on the subject of WMATA’s governance. Along with interested members of the public, the following witnesses should be required to participate: the law firm that conducted the WMATA investigation, members of WMATA’s Ethics committee, members of the WMATA board, and the WMATA Inspector General and General Counsel.

• Launch a full Council investigation focused on Councilmember Evans’ conflicts of interest in his capacity as WMATA board member, but also more broadly, as a DC Councilmember.

The above actions are prudent measures that the Council can take to restore public confidence in our government. We have been disappointed at the past passivity and complacency of the DC Council in dealing with these matters. We commend all of the Councilmembers who have spoken out publicly so far and call on all members to do the same. Now is the time to demonstrate that the Council, as a whole,  is committed to good governance.

Sincerely,

SURJ-DC

***List still in formation, please email mhanson@workingfamilies.org if you would like your name or organization added***