Vince Gray Has Had Better Days

Photo by KCIvey

Tom already told you about Tim Craig's story in today's Washington Post, which outlines how D.C. Council Chair Vincent Gray used council stationery to solicit a $20,000 contribution from Comcast to help pay for Democratic Party activities at last year's national convention. But potentially even worse news for Gray also came today in the form of this story by Washington Times reporter Jeffrey Anderson, which alleges that some questionable work was performed on Gray's Hillcrest home by developer William C. Smith & Co. – a huge company that has a long list of contracts with the District government, and doesn't usually offer basic home repair services.

The allegations laid out by Anderson paint a sort of Ted Stevens-esque picture:

On Tuesday, Mr. Gray's office said that William C. Smith & Co. supervised and received a payment of $5,051.04 for work at Mr. Gray's home in July and August, including power-washing his driveway, painting his family room and installing wiring for a television. Mr. Gray said he paid the company an additional $5,000 for "architectural services for proposed renovation."

Mr. Gray confirmed that he did not pay for the work until this month -- after The Washington Times began asking employees of William C. Smith & Co. about the work, and a month after the paper filed a Freedom of Information Act request seeking permits on the property. He declined to show any invoices or receipts.

Could either or both of these stories end up hampering a potential run for mayor by Gray? It's too early to say, but it's starting to be the season when election-seekers need to announce their intentions or give up the ghost. Staring down the business end of the possibility of an ethics investigation could be enough to make any sitting politico think twice about putting themselves in the line of fire.