A D.C. lawyer who defended Ward 5 Councilman Harry Thomas against the federal government’s quest to get him to pay back $16,000 in student loans and fees is now representing two of Thomas’ golfing buddies who allegedly helped Thomas steer city dollars to his wallet.
Vandy Jamison told The Washington Examiner on Wednesday that he is no longer representing Thomas in the student loans case.
He said their professional relationship ended “very recently.” He declined to comment further.
Jamison also declined to comment on his two clients, James Garvin and Marshall Banks. The two run the Langston 21st Century Foundation, a nonprofit organization associated with the Langston Golf Course that teaches young women to play golf. A lawsuit filed by D.C. Attorney General Irvin Nathan on Monday charges that Thomas arranged for the foundation to serve as a pass-through for $400,000 that went from the city to the foundation to two companies run by Thomas, and then to the councilman’s pocket. The cash was originally intended for youth baseball.
Not all the cash made its way to Thomas, the suit says. About $86,000 stayed with the foundation, and Nathan says Garvin and Banks have agreed to pay it back. He also said they helped develop the case against Thomas.
Court records still show Jamison as Thomas’ attorney in the federal government’s lawsuit to get the councilman to pay the $16,000 he owes in student loans and associated fees. Thomas is scheduled to appear in the case on June 15.
