Mayor-elect Adrian Fenty will throw himself an inaugural bash financed by contributions collected through a nonprofit corporation, he announced Wednesday.
Fenty has established a 501(c)4 nonprofit to manage the Jan. 2 inauguration, including raising, collecting and spending the funds for the effort. Fenty is simultaneously raising money for his transition nonprofit, a separate entity, despite receiving $250,000 from the D.C. government and reporting more than $800,000 cash-on-hand at last count from his election campaign.
The mayor-elect said he would consider a cap on the contribution amounts, to “cap what could be a potential for some amount of undue influence.”
Jim Hudson, former co-chair of the Fenty for Mayor campaign, and Bill Lightfoot, former chair of the campaign’s finance committee, will chair the inaugural committee. The two promised an open, transparent process, so that the public can learn quickly who is paying for the inaugural events.
Mayor Anthony Williams, Lightfoot said, spent $300,000 on his last inauguration.
Planning is only in the “beginning stages,” Hudson said. But the Fenty camp hopes to stage inaugural festivities with the D.C. Council, starting the day with a breakfast, followed by the swearing in and finishing up with the inaugural ball in the evening.
“This will be a celebration of the people to include everyone from all parts of the city, just like the campaign did,” Lightfoot said.
To volunteer for the inaugural activities, call 202-478-9310.
