D.C. Council members routinely dole out payments for everything from funeral costs to electric bills and sports tickets from cash reserves that critics say amount to little more than slush funds. Officially they’re called “Citizen Service Programs,” but they’re more commonly referred to as Constituent Services Funds. Each council member is allowed to raise $80,000 a year — increased from $40,000 two years ago — in private donations for the funds. They can legally spend the dollars on nearly anything they want.
“They’re true slush funds,” said Dorothy Brizill, executive director of D.C. Watch.
| Doling out dollars |
| A sampling of constituent services spending: |
| Ward 3 Mary Cheh: $375 to the National Center for Constitutional Studies |
| Ward 4 Muriel Bowser: $100 to D.C. Water for a resident’s bill |
| Ward 8 Marion Barry: $150 to a constituent to help with job training and transportation |
| At-large Phil Mendelson: $100 to a youth basketball camp |
| At-large Councilman Michael A. Brown: $300 to D.C. Central Kitchen, “catering for a council breakfast.” |
| Source: D.C. campaign finance records |
The funds are legal, but in at least one recent case, misuse of constituent service funds ended in fines. Earlier this month, the D.C. Office of Campaign Finance fined Ward 7 Councilwoman Yvette Alexander $4,000 for violating constituent fund regulations. The audit said she failed to report a $4,700 contribution to the fund and used cash meant for constituents on a campaign robo-call.
City regulations say lawmakers can spend the funds on specific items like charities and recreation. But the regulations also say dollars can go toward anything that promotes residents’ “general welfare.”
That makes “the definition of what they can spend on wide enough to drive a Mack Truck through,” Brizill said.
Members of the council have applied a loose interpretation to the regulations.
In the wealthy Ward 3, Councilwoman Mary Cheh gave $500 to the Chevy Chase Dog Park Group. Ward 1 Councilman Jim Graham’s report was notable for a series of a contributions to scholarship funds, including $500 to the University of the District of Columbia. Council Chairman Kwame Brown’s fund, however, had a $550 balance and he hadn’t given away a cent.
Ward 8 Councilman Marion Barry represents the city’s poorest district, but he still spent constituent dollars on the one item that appears in nearly every council members’ report. On June 16, Barry forked over $68.72 to Crystal Springs for the “office water cooler.”
Growing scrutiny of the constituent funds comes as Ward 5 Councilman Harry Thomas has been accused of stealing city dollars and council Chairman Kwame Brown has been accused of violating campaign finance laws. Both men are being investigated by federal authorities.
On Monday, a Washington Post report targeted Ward 2 Councilman Jack Evans for buying his constituents $135,000 in sports tickets over the past decade compared to about $101,000 in charitable contributions during the same period. Evans did not violate any laws.
Political consultant Chuck Thies said Evans’ ticket purchases amount to little more than “bad optics.”
“It’s difficult to substantiate in a town where there’s a great disparity in needs,” Thies said. “Most Georgetown residents don’t need help paying their electric bill.” Georgetown is part of Evans’ ward.
