The Oversight and Government Reform Committee's investigation found no evidence that D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray tried to bribe his opponent.
There’s no evidence that D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray tried to bribe his opponent in the 2010 mayoral race, according to a report released today.
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee unveiled the findings of a seven-month investigation into allegations that Gray, during his campaign to unseat then-Mayor Adrian Fenty, offered candidate Sulaimon Brown a quid pro quo to stay in the three-way primary.
Brown has said that Gray’s campaign asked him to stay in the Democratic primary and disparage Fenty in exchange for money and the promise of a job in the Gray administration.
The accusation prompted Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) to launch an investigation into the matter.
Though the 50-page report essentially clears Gray of allegations of a quid pro quo, it did find evidence corroborating Brown’s claims that his mayoral campaign received financial backing connected with Gray’s campaign consultant, Howard Brooks.
The U.S. attorney’s office will continue to investigate the matter, but Issa said in a statement that his committee “has no current plans for additional investigative steps or to hold congressional hearings related to these allegations.”
Issa also made special note in his statement of “Mayor Gray’s cooperation with investigators.”
Lois Lerner, director of exempt organizations for the IRS, arrives for a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on the investigation of the IRS' targeting of political groups. Lerner invoked her Fifth Amendment right to not testify and caused a protest from some committee members when she offered an opening statement and engaged in dialogue with members before invoking the right.
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