Millicent West, the District’s homeland security director and a figure central to the corruption probe surrounding former Councilman Harry Thomas Jr., abruptly resigned Tuesday, saying the ongoing federal investigation was too much of a sideshow to endure while governing. “I am offering my resignation as director of the D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency,” West wrote in a letter to Mayor Vincent Gray. “Given the current distractions, I believe this is the best decision for both my family and the District.”
West did not respond to a request from The Washington Examiner for comment.
West, a former president of the Children and Youth Investment Trust Corp., was identified by her title — but not by name — in court documents filed in conjunction with Thomas’ Jan. 6 guilty plea.
In those papers, Thomas and federal prosecutors said West suggested that a staff member “change the name of the entity” that would receive District money for an event Thomas organized for the day of President Obama’s inauguration because the original applicant for the funds, the D.C. Young Democrats, was a political group. To help pay for the party, the CYITC, the agency through which Thomas stole more than $353,000 in public funds, ultimately spent $110,000 of District money originally earmarked for youth programs.
West has not been charged in connection with the scheme.
Gray said West’s resignation was a surprise.
“I just found out about this today,” Gray said. “She said she didn’t want to be a distraction, so I just accepted her wishes.”
Gray said he had not spoken to West about her resignation, and he praised her tenure leading the District’s emergency management agency, which began during the administration of former Mayor Adrian Fenty.
“I think Millicent has done an excellent job,” Gray said. “I hope she plans to stay involved in the city in some way.”
Though Thomas resigned shortly before pleading guilty as part of his plea bargain, there was no indication that West had made a deal with prosecutors. Bill Miller, a spokesman for U.S. Attorney Ronald Machen Jr., declined comment, saying that the office doesn’t confirm or deny the existence of specific investigations.
Gray said he didn’t know whether the fallout from the Thomas investigation would yield more resignations.
“It’s a continuing investigation, and I guess we’ll just see what happens,” Gray said.
