D.C. Councilman Marion Barry on Tuesday said he is “truly, truly sorry” for a “lack of sound judgment” in awarding a contract to his then-girlfriend, but denied violating any rules or having a conflict of interest.
Barry issued his mea culpa a week after the release of a scathing independent review into personal service contracts he awarded through his office, and earmarks he directed to nonprofits in Ward 8. In both cases, according to the report issued by lawyer Robert Bennett, Barry and his close friends benefited financially.
“I truly apologize for lack of sound and good judgment,” Barry said from Union Temple Baptist Church. “I apologize for my actions and lack of sound judgment and for causing great embarrassment to the city and the city council.”
The former mayor continues to deny any wrongdoing. But his actions are, or might soon be, the subject of investigations by the D.C. Office of Campaign Finance and the U.S. attorney for D.C. Barry also faces condemnation, perhaps through formal censure, by his council colleagues.
Bennett, drafted by Council Chairman Vincent Gray to investigate Barry’s conduct, concluded that the councilman’s contract with Donna Watts-Brighthaupt constituted a conflict of interest, violated standards of conduct and warrant referral to prosecutors.
Fred Cooke, Barry’s longtime lawyer, delivered a response to the report directly to Bennett on Tuesday.
Barry received some of the $15,000 that Watts-Brighthaupt was paid to draft a proposal for a Ward 8 emerging leaders conference. The councilman has said his take was payback for loans made to his girlfriend to pay her mortgage, utility and car repair bills.
In the case of earmarks, Bennett found that Barry directed $450,000 in one year to six “Ward Eight Councils” that his office established and controlled. Brenda Richardson, a Barry staffer, was paid more than $100,000 to serve as project director for three of the six councils. The Rev. Anthony Motley, a Barry confidante, collected $49,000.
Barry was arrested last Fourth of July weekend for allegedly stalking Watts-Brighthaupt. The charges were dropped.
