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Major, major news from D.C. Wire:
The chief-of-staff to D.C. Council Member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) was arrested Thursday morning by federal agents on bribery charges, according to a source familiar with the investigation.
Ted G. Loza, 44, was taken into custody at his home. He is due to appear in the District's federal court Thursday afternoon.
The Post report has since been updated to say that federal agents are currently searching Loza's office. Graham is reportedly out of the office today.
This is sure to be a huge story, so stay tuned.
1:24 p.m. Tom Sherwood, via Mike DeBonis, has information he says links the probe to "Loza’s involvement in overseeing taxicab legislation." Graham is also reportedly on the scene now, and is speaking to his staff in a private meeting.
1:49 p.m. The Post's Del Quentin Wilber has more details now on the specifics of the indictment:
In a 10-page indictment unsealed Thursday, authorities allege that Loza accepted separate $1,000 and $500 cash payments in recent months from an individual with "financial interests in the taxicab industry." That person, identified only as Individual Number 1 in the indictment, provided Loza a "stream of things of value," including "cash, the use of vehicles and trips," the indictment says.
In exchange, the indictment says, Loza agreed to promote legislation and policies that helped the unnamed individual.
And Jim Graham introduced precisely that legislation in short order after Loza met with this person, according to the FBI.
Not to excuse Loza's alleged actions in any way, because the accusations against him are pretty damning (keep reading to the end of the article, when the affidavit describes him being tape recorded as accepting one envelope of cash and then saying, "You know I need it,") but the real shame of it all is that what "Individual Number 1" wanted was to push for a limited taxi license medallion system plus incentives for hybrid vehicles – neither of which are bad things in our book. These revelations will surely torpedo any chance that Graham had of passing this legislation. That Graham introduced his bill, which was co-sponsored by Ward 4 Council member Muriel Bowser, in such an obvious time frame that coincided with Loza accepting bribes – there's just no way this bill won't be seen as tainted.
Also, $1500? That's all it takes to bribe local officials these days?
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Yowza!!
Just when the last raging commentati-fest of 2009 - MOLLY! - ends, this little jewel gets dropped in our laps. Let the orgy commence!
PS - Six minutes. Not bad, Sommer.
Lol. Just read that it is related to bribes from "someone in the tax industry"!! This just keeps getting better and better.
It wouldn't be DC without a lil' political scandal to break up our monotonous lives as drones working our asses off for the man!
Jumbo Slice-gate?
Really hoping he uses the notorious "Jumbo Slice defense" to claim an addiction to nasty, greasy-ass pizzas forced him into a life of crime. He just couldn't help himself. Those pizzas, like MD drivers, are the devil incarnate.
FIE Virginia!
Sounds like someone left the meter running.
Don't you know Jim Graham sponsoired the first piece of legislation before the City Council on bribery and was for it until now? Though he is still "against" bribery he needs to take a backseat and see what the "will of the people will be" so he is going to withdrawl his bill for the time being.
DC - New Orleans without the accents!!!
He likes getting us both ways.
Graham has had a wonderful two-pronged pincer squeeze on transportation. From his chairman's throne at the Comm on Pub Works, he pushed doubling the parking meter rates and flooding the streets with not cops but meter maids and masters. Meanwhile, from his other chairman's throne on the Metro board he supported raising transit fares and cutting service even before the current crisis. Graham had a good, painful conflict of public policy interest going on - no joke. But letting his COS cozy up to the low-rent despots of DC cabdom makes it a three-pronged squeeze. Eff me.
Explains why the cab-only insurance co. that "covers" the cab driver ticketed for hitting my car just laughs at me and my insurance co. and commits nothing to paper.
Thanks Jimbo! Thanks a lot!
I never liked him.
Thanks for classing up the DC Council, Ted! You're just a shining star.
Yeah, Ted was always kind of scary.
...and for only $1500!
Jim Graham is on the way in his VW to pick him up so he can turn himself in.
Soon to be double parked on a street near you!
I like Graham, personality quirks and all. it's in that light that I am glad someone who's doing him a dis-service is no longer in his office.
Too bad that what might be worthwhile further reform to DC's taxi service is in the mix.
You can't automatically assume that Graham is free of wrongdoing in this controversy. He and his chief of staff are obviously very closely connected.
You can't automatically assume that Graham is free of wrongdoing in this controversy. He and his chief of staff are obviously very closely connected.
After reading the WaPo article, I certainly wouldn't be surprised if he is involved.
After reading the WaPo article, I certainly wouldn't be surprised if he is involved.
I don't know that he wasn't, but I do presume that he wasn't. The whole affair seems so much cruder (and way cheaper) than I would have expected if Graham himself were involved. Did you read the transcripts? Painfully clumsy.
When is Graham up for re-election? I've heard rumors that someone may challenge him next go 'round.
2010
Wow, does this guy look like Gaf from Bladerunner or what? All he needs is the cane, a fedora, and some gumwrapper origami.
Thanks to this tool, the city will have hooptie cabs for years to come. Good job, jackass.
I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Taxicabs on fire off the shoulder of Swampoodle. I watched LNS douche vomit glitter in the dark at the Tannhäuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time like pee in rain. Time to go to jail.
Just wow. Whole fist up for that post!
Surely Graham can get some fire recruits to come to his rescue.
Free Loza!
Lets have a fundraiser for his defense.
Lozapalooza!!
"You know I need it"? Is Loza getting his cash bribery scandal confused with a drug addiction scandal?
The Jim Graham era in D.C. is about to come to an end.
No way - Graham has survived a lot and knows how to work all the levers in Washington. He's election box gold. He'll distance himself from this quicker than a whore getting out of a congressman's limo.
I guess even the bribery industry is suffering in this economy.
Now we know the answer to, "should we trust a guy with a flavor saver"?
Never again
Why would you ever think that a limited taxi medallion system is a *good* idea?
The reason taxi companies often support it is because it limits competition which means there is more business for them. The market is perfectly capable of determining how many cabs there should be.
Regarding hybrids -- frankly hybrid Camry's aren't all that efficient so if the goal is to reduce gas consumption, then cars should be incentivised based on their fuel consumption, not the arbitrary distinction of whether or not they have a hybrid gas-electric engine.
c'mon, people, if barry can politically survive all the crap he's been through, don't you think graham can make it through this? have some faith!
if marion barry can politically survive all the stuff he's been through, there's absolutely no reason at all to believe that graham can't. c'mon, people.
$1500?!?! They don't stay bought for $1500. Amateur.
And I can hear Graham now... "Bastard set me up!"
Jim Graham needs to resign. He promoted legislation to benefit a few companies while decreasing competition.
Even without the bribery, that is retarded. Get rid of this clown.
uknowbetter: it might be stupid, but it has nothing to do with mental retardation.
Another pebble into the bucket!
Explain to me how he needed the money making 3 times the medium income (not counting income by spouse.)
Quote the site of "Graham One"
“More than two-thirds of our residents have a high school diploma, and more than one third have graduated from college. Yet, our ward has the highest percentage of residents living below poverty of any ward west of the Anacostia River. At 22 percent, our poverty count is higher than the District’s average of 20 percent. The median household income in Ward One is $36,902.”
Could this open another complex issue, deals with Muriel Bowser, Ward 4 Council member concerning pending legislation before her as chair of "Committee on Public Services and Consumer Affairs"?
Specifically legislation concerning:
Omnibus Rental Housing Amendment Act of 2009 (B-18-0092)
Tenant Protection Act of 2009 (B18-0042)
"RENT CONTROL" is up for renewal!
Will these issues pass before or after?
Do the math - 1 plus 1 =
We lose !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!