Photo by Francis Chung.

Harry Thomas, Jr., the Ward 5 D.C. Councilmember accused of improperly using $300,000 in city grant funds on personal expenses like a luxury SUV, golf outings, dinner at Hooters and overdraft fees, settled a lawsuit filed by the District’s Office of the Attorney General today without admitting wrongdoing. According to a statement released by the OAG, Thomas will repay the $300,000 his Team Thomas organization spent over the next two years.

Here’s the skinny on the settlement which dismisses the first civil action ever filed by OAG against a sitting member of the D.C. Council: Thomas has to pay the city $50,000 today, then pony up another five $50,000 installment payments between now and December 2013. The settlement also requires Thomas to actually fulfill his promise to supply sporting equipment to the Satchel Paige / Senators Little League organization (the original purpose of the grant money Team Thomas spent), and bans Thomas from “directing, controlling, or participating in the solicitation of charitable contributions” for a period of five years.

If he doesn’t comply with the settlement, the court can go after Thomas’ personal property to be made whole. Thomas currently earns $130,538 per year serving on the Council.

“We are pleased that Councilman Thomas has agreed to cooperate with us, repay his debt and spare the District the burden, expense and distraction of proving its case in court,” said Attorney General Irv Nathan in a statement. “At the same time, our unrelenting persistence in bringing and prosecuting this action demonstrates our commitment to pursue anyone, no matter his or her station or influence, who would deprive the city of its precious resources or who would use his or her position of trust and influence to obtain District of Columbia funds for personal gain.”

Thomas could potentially face further criminal sanctions from investigations into the improper spending by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI, so we wouldn’t expect to see him hopping back into a Council chairmanship anytime soon.