Councilmember Vincent Orange (D-At Large) intervened in a city inspection last month of a Northeast D.C. produce distributor that was found to have several major health violations, including a rodent infestation, Department of Health records show.

Sam Wang Produce, a grocery store at 300 Morse Street NE near the Union Market food hall, was visited December 21 by District health inspectors who found, among other problems, a lack of sanitary practices by store employees, food debris lining the store’s refrigeration unit and rodent droppings throughout the storage area. A Health Department supervisor, Jacqueline Coleman, ordered the store to close immediately, according to an inspection report that was first published yesterday by the Titan of Trinidad blog.

But 22 minutes after Coleman prepared to shutter Sam Wang Produce, the inspection notes, a D.C. Council member arrived at the store and asked for Coleman’s name as well as her boss’ names. Orange is not named in the health inspection, but The Washington Post later reported that Orange, who previously represented Ward 5 on the council, was the intervening member.

The store was eventually closed for health violations, though it was permitted to re-open the following day after inspectors found the store had cleaned itself up.

Individuals and companies listed at Sam Wang Produce’s address have contributed $19,000 to Orange’s various campaigns over the past six years, including $14,000 to his 2006 mayoral bid. The donations, ranging between $1,000 and $3,000 were written by business entities such as Sang Oh & Company Inc. or S.W. Produce Inc., and individual members of the family that owns the store.

Orange’s office did not reply to questions about his sudden appearance at the December 21 health inspection.

A crew from WUSA visited Sam Wang Produce earlier this month and shot footage of rats scampering around the warehouse where the store resides. The rats are quite big: