Lawyers for D.C. Councilman Jack Evans are pleading for 鈥� in their words 鈥� a 鈥渇air process鈥� as the D.C. Council continues its investigation into allegations of ethical lapses.
In a letter sent to D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson and Ward 3 Councilwoman Mary Cheh Wednesday, attorneys for Evans say the alleged violations listed in a report released this week 鈥渁re nowhere near as serious鈥� as some of Evans鈥� critics make them out to be.
They also blast someone who had access to the report who leaked it to The Washington Post, saying it was 鈥�done with malice and with the intent to poison the well of public opinion鈥� in order to get Evans to quit.
The Washington Post reports that Mendelson has talked repeatedly with Evans about resigning, but the paper quotes Evans saying he isn鈥檛 going to do it now or in the future.
Nine of Evans鈥� 12 colleagues on the council have publicly said he needs to step down. Lawyers say that 鈥渄rumbeat鈥� is 鈥渇lattening any remote sense of fairness or due process鈥� and that the council needs to slow down and consider the real facts at hand.
Cheh, who is leading the council鈥檚 investigation into Evans, quickly responded with a letter of her own 鈥� one that was much shorter and to the point.
She begins calling the concern 鈥渕isplaced鈥� and that Evans 鈥渉as already had considerable due process and will be receiving even more.鈥�
Cheh then quickly closes the letter by again saying the listed concerns are 鈥渕isplaced鈥� before adding that 鈥淐loaking your public relations campaign in legal jargon does nothing to advance your defense鈥�
