Tom Howell Jr.
Articles by Tom Howell Jr.
Ward 5 needs rise with Thomas’ fall
Less than two weeks after Harry Thomas Jr. stepped gave up his Ward 5 seat on the D.C. Council and pleaded guilty to stealing District funds, the saturation of medical marijuana centers and other issues in his Northeast ward will take center stage at the first legislative session without him. Published January 16, 2012
Will D.C. statehood effort in Florida have sunnier outcome?
If a snowstorm foils an upcoming pro-D.C. statehood vote in Florida this year, then the city's decades-long voting-rights effort might indeed be ill-fated. Published January 15, 2012
Gray releases records for funding of D.C. transition
D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray has released a long-awaited record of the funds he raised and spent for his transition into office last year, revealing more than $30,000 in payments to the Maryland man at the center of an investigation into Mr. Gray's campaign activities. Published January 15, 2012
Thomas associate admits role in D.C. lawmaker’s theft
The director of a golf-oriented nonprofit in Northeast D.C. admitted in federal court on Friday that he failed to disclose his role as a pass-through for public funds stolen by former D.C. Council member Harry Thomas Jr. from 2007 to 2009. Published January 13, 2012
Gray wants Occupy D.C. out of McPherson Square
D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray is pressuring federal park officials to address the Occupy D.C. encampment in McPherson Square, suggesting protesters should "at a minimum" be consolidated with an anti-war camp on Freedom Plaza "for elimination of the rat infestation, clean up and restoration" of the downtown park. Published January 13, 2012
Foundation chief linked to Thomas faces charges
A key figure in the corruption probe of former D.C. Council member Harry Thomas Jr. has been formally accused of failing to report that city funds were being stolen in 2008 and 2009. Published January 12, 2012
Activists begin recall effort against D.C. mayor, council chairman
Political activists filed paperwork on Wednesday to begin a recall effort against D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray and council Chairman Kwame R. Brown, asserting that well-publicized missteps in the early months of each official's term amount to "breaches of office through unethical behavior." Published January 11, 2012
D.C. Council’s New Hampshire trip postponed
Citing up to 6 inches of snow in their forecast, state legislators in New Hampshire canceled a Thursday hearing in which Mayor Vincent C. Gray and several council members were slated to testify on a resolution in support of D.C. statehood. Published January 11, 2012
D.C. school scorecards posted online
D.C. Public Schools released scorecards Tuesday that grade 119 campuses on safety, student progress and other measures, allowing parents to decide where to send their children in a system attempting to rise above past failures. Published January 10, 2012
Medical marijuana approvals clustered in Ward 5
Before he resigned and admitted to stealing $350,000 from the District, former D.C. Council member Harry Thomas Jr. expressed concern that much of the city's medical marijuana cultivation would take place in a small slice of his Northeast ward. Published January 9, 2012
Thomas’ guilty plea months in the making
U.S. Attorney Ron Machen had for months heard the public's cry for him to say whether D.C. Council member Harry Thomas Jr. indeed had stolen from city taxpayers. Published January 8, 2012
D.C. Council member Thomas pleads guilty
Former D.C. Council member Harry Thomas Jr. pleaded guilty in federal court on Friday to felony counts of stealing more than $350,000 in taxpayer funds and failing to report income on his tax returns. Published January 6, 2012
D.C. Council member Thomas resigns, will plead guilty
Embattled D.C. Council member Harry Thomas Jr. on Thursday evening resigned from office and said he will plead guilty in the morning to two federal charges of stealing more than $350,000 in taxpayer funds and failing to report income on his tax returns. Published January 5, 2012
Embattled Thomas skips D.C. Council meeting
The D.C. Council's first legislative session of 2012 was overshadowed Wednesday by the conspicuous absence of Harry Thomas Jr., whose empty seat fueled speculation of an imminent plea deal on accusations that he spent hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars on himself. Published January 4, 2012
D.C. bill mandates college application for high school diploma
D.C. Council Chairman Kwame R. Brown will introduce a bill Wednesday that would require all city high school students to apply to at least one college before graduating. Published January 3, 2012
Gray, others taking their D.C. campaign to New Hampshire
Mayor Vincent C. Gray and D.C. Council members are heading to New Hampshire this month to promote statehood for the District, kick-starting an effort that uses state politicians as leverage in their pitch for full voting rights in Congress. Published January 2, 2012
Police ID victims of fatal Bethesda crash
Montgomery County Police have identified the 20-year-old man and 18-year-old woman who died early Sunday when a sport utility vehicle they were riding in struck a tree on Jones Bridge Road in Bethesda. Published January 2, 2012
Romney 1st candidate to qualify for D.C. primary
Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has qualified for the April 3 primary in the District, making him the first of five GOP candidates expected to vie for 16 delegates in the overtly Democratic city while neighboring Virginia mulls campaign gaffes that left two key contenders off its swing-state ballot. Published December 29, 2011
Nod from Justice clears hurdle for online gambling
A Department of Justice legal opinion that clears the way for states to offer lottery services and gambling over the Internet reinforces the District's efforts to introduce poker and other games, but may threaten the city's status as a first-in-the-nation pioneer in the industry. Published December 28, 2011
Cheh issues resident survey for taxi system overhaul
Council member Mary M. Cheh is asking D.C. residents to weigh in on taxicab colors, fares and safety initiatives through an online survey. Published December 28, 2011
