Quite the scene Friday at the home of Harry “Tommy” Thomas Jr. Federal agents pulled up to the council member’s brick and clapboard house on a hill in the city’s eastern edge. They spent the day, hauling out bags of documents and such. Away went the Chevy Tahoe. They loaded up the cherry red motorcycle, too.
In my quarter century covering the nation’s capital, I can’t think of another time feds packing heat and dressed in flak jackets raided the home of a local elected official. There was the time FBI agents escorted Marion Barry back to his home in January, 1990, after they busted him for smoking crack cocaine in a hotel room. But they didn’t take his Lincoln Town Car.
The Barry bust was different, of course, but there are lessons to be learned — two, in particular.
— No one demanded Marion Barry step down as mayor just because he had been arrested and charged with a crime. In America, one is innocent until proven guilty. Remember: Barry chose not to run for re-election.
— Barry won election to the council after he served his six months in the federal pen, then he was elected mayor for a fourth term, and he has never been out of office since.
Marion Barry has established a path for Thomas’ redemption and continued service on the city council, come what may in a court of law. Keep your head held high, never wallow in regret for doing wrong and keep your mother by your side.
Where did Thomas head after the feds carted off his ride? Over to his mom’s place. Romaine Thomas is more solid and better-known in this town than even Virginia Williams, mother of former Mayor Tony Williams. Romaine was a public school teacher and principal. As wife of Harry Thomas, Sr., who preceded his son on the Ward 5 city council seat, she’s been working crowds and serving hot meals to poll workers since the early 1970s.
You don’t think this was on Marion Barry’s mind when city council members met in secret Monday afternoon to figure out what, if anything, they should do now that Thomas may be facing indictment for misusing public funds? Barry, together with Yvette Alexander and Michael Brown argued against asking Thomas to step down. Let the process play out, Barry advised.
The council agreed, according to sources, to send Chairman Kwame Brown to ask Thomas to take a paid leave. I predict Thomas will not play that game; no backing down.
My guess is that right now U.S. Attorney Ronald Machen and his prosecutors are preparing a multi-count indictment, that might include Thomas and many close to him. And that they will offer Thomas a deal: plead to a few charges or face trial for dozens.
When Kwame Brown visits Thomas, the councilman will hold fast that he’s innocent. And he won’t plead out, because he believes that among a jury of his peers, at least one out of 12 won’t convict.
Remember Marion: indicted on 14 counts, convicted of one misdemeanor. That’s how it works in D.C.
Harry Jaffe’s column appears on Tuesday and Friday. He can be contacted at [email protected].
