The chairman of the District’s alcohol control board resigned Friday, two months after The Washington Examiner reported on allegations of ethical misconduct leveled against him by another board member.
Charles Brodsky was appointed by former-Mayor Adrian Fenty and had another year left on his term. Mayor Vince Gray had previously said he would not reappoint Brodsky after The Examiner reported allegations that he had favored a wholesale liquor company represented by an attorney with whom Brodsky is friends.
Brodsky issued the following statement to The Washington Examiner on Friday night:
“Out of respect for concerns voiced by members of the DC City Council and a number of ANC and Community Groups regarding my dual role as a Washington, DC small business owner and as Chairman of the ABC Board, I have decided to resign my seat on the ABC Board. I do this out of respect for both groups and in the interest of putting the emphasis and focus back on the city’s business and the needs of the citizens of the District of Columbia. I have been honored to serve the District and look forward to continuing my service by producing events that promote health and wellness and contribute to its economic development.”
As chairman, he had a tumultuous tenure. Neighborhood commissioners turned against him after Brodsky moved to limit their power by sticking closely to city laws that limit the amount of time neighborhood leaders can protest alcohol licenses of businesses that want to move into their areas. Brodsky said the commissioners were making it too difficult for bars and restaurants to do business in the city.
That model worked well under Mayor Fenty, who was known for pushing the city forward with blinders on to neighborhood concerns. But when alcohol board member Mital Gandhi resigned, claiming Brodsky had violated ethical rules, he gave the collaborative-minded Mayor Gray the opportunity to eliminate a top city official whose opinions were contrary to Gray’s “One City” approach.
In May, the Gray administration asked the attorney general and inspector general to step in to investigate Gandhi’s allegations as the mayor searched for cause to fire Brodsky.
