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| Top D.C. ethics investigator resigns amid scrutiny of his office | Top D.C. ethics investigator resigns amid scrutiny of his office |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| The District’s top ethics investigator has stepped down amid criticism of the agency’s failure to promptly investigate complaints. | The District’s top ethics investigator has stepped down amid criticism of the agency’s failure to promptly investigate complaints. |
| Brent Wolfingbarger resigned as director of government ethics at the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability effective Dec. 31, agency officials said. | |
| Wolfingbarger could not immediately be reached for comment. At a D.C. Council hearing in November, he defended his time at the agency. | |
| Norma B. Hutcheson, who chairs the five-member ethics board, said the agency has started a nationwide search for a new director. Rochelle Ford, who has been an attorney for the board since 2018, is serving as acting director. | |
| Wolfingbarger’s two-year tenure at the helm of the District’s internal watchdog had come under scrutiny by lawmakers and good-government advocates. | |
| Several D.C. Council members, including Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) and Charles Allen (D-Ward 6), had criticized the ethics board for staying on the sidelines of investigations into alleged ethics violations by Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), who resigned from the council Tuesday rather than face expulsion. | |
| The ethics board was formed several years ago after scandals involving other council members. | The ethics board was formed several years ago after scandals involving other council members. |
| Wolfingbarger said law enforcement had warned that a local ethics investigation could interfere with an ongoing federal probe into Evans. But the law firm hired by the council to investigate Evans said federal prosecutors raised no such objections to their review. | Wolfingbarger said law enforcement had warned that a local ethics investigation could interfere with an ongoing federal probe into Evans. But the law firm hired by the council to investigate Evans said federal prosecutors raised no such objections to their review. |
| The other recent major ethics case involved former D.C. Public Schools chancellor Antwan Wilson’s effort to seek a favorable school placement for his daughter. More than a year after Wilson resigned under pressure, the ethics board concluded he violated ethics policies and reprimanded him. | The other recent major ethics case involved former D.C. Public Schools chancellor Antwan Wilson’s effort to seek a favorable school placement for his daughter. More than a year after Wilson resigned under pressure, the ethics board concluded he violated ethics policies and reprimanded him. |
| The ethics board also has been under scrutiny for more-routine matters. | |
| A recent report by the D.C. auditor identified five instances where the agency failed to respond to D.C. government employees seeking advice on potential conflicts of interest. | A recent report by the D.C. auditor identified five instances where the agency failed to respond to D.C. government employees seeking advice on potential conflicts of interest. |
| It also concluded that the ethics board failed to investigate a 2018 complaint from a former D.C. government employee alleging that officials improperly gave millions to an affordable-housing developer with political connections. | It also concluded that the ethics board failed to investigate a 2018 complaint from a former D.C. government employee alleging that officials improperly gave millions to an affordable-housing developer with political connections. |
| Hutcheson conceded in a response to the audit that the agency mishandled that case, but she said it was not part of a broader pattern. | |
| The audit prompted the council to hold a November hearing on the ethics agency where Wolfingbarger said the board was changing policies to better investigate complaints. | The audit prompted the council to hold a November hearing on the ethics agency where Wolfingbarger said the board was changing policies to better investigate complaints. |
| Wolfingbarger also stunned some open-government advocates when he said the agency was unable to access a spreadsheet tracking cases because it was on the laptop of a former employee and officials did not know the password. | Wolfingbarger also stunned some open-government advocates when he said the agency was unable to access a spreadsheet tracking cases because it was on the laptop of a former employee and officials did not know the password. |
| The long history of ethics and corruption scandals in the District | The long history of ethics and corruption scandals in the District |
| D.C. consumer advocate fined for using assistant for personal tasks | D.C. consumer advocate fined for using assistant for personal tasks |
| How D.C.’s sports betting contracts benefits well-connected insiders | How D.C.’s sports betting contracts benefits well-connected insiders |
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