D.C. Council member Jack Evans has agreed to a consent settlement with the city’s ethics board to resolve its concerns about his reprimand by the council for his use of official resources to conduct personal business.
Mr. Evans, Ward 2 Democrat, did not admit any violation of the council’s Code of Conduct in agreeing to the settlement with the Board of Government Ethics and Accountability, according to a press release issued by his office Thursday.
He “recognizes that these issues needed resolution in order to avoid a protracted and costly dispute resolution process,” the press release states.
Mr. Evans will pay the ethics board $20,000 as part of the consent settlement.
The council reprimanded Mr. Evans in March for using his office to entice private businesses to hire his consulting firm.
He subsequently was stripped of his chairmanship of the Finance Committee, and he has resigned his membership and chairmanship of the Metro Board of Directors. A Metro investigation determined that he failed to disclose his business relationship with a potential contractor, an ethics violation.
The council has hired a law firm that is investigating Mr. Evans, the District’s longest-serving lawmaker. The federal government also is investigating him.
• Sophie Kaplan can be reached at skaplan@washingtontimes.com.
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