Yvette Alexander

On Friday, we noted a Washington Times report which detailed how Ward 7 Councilmember Yvette Alexander’s shuttered her privately-leased constituent services office at 2524 Pennsylvania Avenue SE after falling behind on phone bills and rent payments. Today, the Times’ Jeffrey Anderson digs deeper into the issue, and finds that phone bills might be the least of Alexander’s problems with the office.

Anderson reports that the office space, which Alexander had been renting from former D.C. Councilmember H.R. Crawford, had its rent lowered “not based on market value but because [Crawford] cares about the community” — which might count as a contribution under current campaign finance laws. Anderson also reports that Alexander proposed legislation in 2009 that would have allowed the city to acquire and redevelop several properties around the office, “a deal that would appear to benefit [Crawford].” That bill was eventually withdrawn in February 2010, but, as Anderson notes, no reason was given as to why.