Ward 5 Councilman Harry Thomas has settled a lawsuit with the District and agreed to repay the city $300,000 that the suit accused him of diverting from a youth baseball program to his own wallet, the D.C. Attorney General’s office said.
The U.S. Attorney’s criminal investigation into the matter will continue, a spokesman for that office told The Washington Examiner on Friday.
Thomas will make a $50,000 payment to the District on Friday, followed by five other $50,000 payments to be made before Dec. 12, 2013. The agreement settles a lawsuit filed by Attorney General Irvin Nathan last month that accused Thomas of funneling $300,000 from a grant for youth baseball to two companies he ran so he could buy a luxury sports-utility vehicle and take golfing vacations.
“We are pleased that Councilman Thomas has agreed to cooperate with us, repay his debt and spare the District the burden, expense and distraction of proving its case in court,” Nathan said in a statement. “At the same time, our unrelenting persistence in bringing and prosecuting this action demonstrates our commitment to pursue anyone, no matter his or her station or influence, who would deprive the city of its precious resources or who would use his or her position of trust and influence to obtain District of Columbia funds for personal gain.”
When Nathan filed the lawsuit last month, Thomas said he would fight it.
“I will be vindicated,” he said.
In a statement issued late Friday, Thomas denied any wrongdoing.
“The allegations in the Attorney General’s complaint about there being no service provided and a purposeful misuse of any funds are not true… It is not uncommon for grantees, including DC agencies receiving federal funds, to have expenditures disallowed,” the statement said.
