Photo by afagen.

The D.C. Council yesterday approved comprehensive ethics legislation on a first vote, moving the city closer to establishing a Board of Ethics and Government Accountability, tightening reporting requirements for elected officials and government employees, barring elected officials convicted of felonies from serving and giving the District’s Attorney General additional powers to go after scofflaws.

The bill, which will be voted on a second time before the end of the year, didn’t come without debate, nor did it lack for drama as Councilmember Harry Thomas, Jr. (D-Ward 5), whose home was raided by federal officials on Friday, cast a vote in favor of the legislation.

Councilmember Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6) introduced three amendments during the debate, one which would have banned the bundling of campaign donations, a second that would have forbidden city contractors from donating to electoral campaigns and a third that would have eliminated Constituent Services Funds. While the latter two were voted down, Wells withdrew his first amendment while pledging to re-introduce it at the bill’s second reading, expected in two weeks.

Amendments were also introduced by Councilmember Vincent Orange (D-Ward 5), who has expressed concerns with the scope of the legislation and the speed with which it has come together.

One amendment that provoked spirited debate was a proposal that the council be allowed to remove one of its own with a two-thirds vote. While some members of the council agreed with the idea, Councilmembers Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) and Wells expressed worries that the power could be used to expel unpopular members. Wells might have reason for concern — in July, all of his colleagues voted to re-shuffle committee assignments, causing Wells to lose his perch atop the Committee on Public Works and Transportation, a move some attributed to revenge by D.C. Council Chair Kwame Brown.

In the most direct moment of the debate, Councilmember Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) said he wanted stronger provisions on recusal and conflict of interest disclosures. Though he did not name them by name, he cited both Evans and Councilmember David Catania (I-At Large), both of whom have outside jobs. Evans is a lawyer with Patton Boggs, while Catania serves as general counsel of M.C. Dean, which has large contracts with the city.

Many of these issues, Councilmember Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4) said, can be explored by the new board, which would have three members serving six-year terms and between eight and 12 employees. Yesterday the D.C. CFO reported that the board would cost taxpayers some $2.9 million over four years, $1.5 million of which the council would have to dig up to fund operations beyond 2012.

One thing Bowser wasn’t willing to do was wait until January for a second vote, though. Despite calls from some of her colleagues — and Mayor Vince Gray — Bowser and Brown have pushed to get a final vote before the end of the year.