Harry ‘Tommy’ Thomas, Jr.

As part of the D.C. Council’s ethics reform bill last year, the city’s legislators tightened up what was once a pretty loose standard for who could and could not serve on the council.

Currently, only physically being sent to prison for a felony is reason enough to be kicked off the council. As part of the new legislation, though, the standard was changed so that any office-holder convicted of a felony during their term would be ineligible to hold office ever again.

But since the change requires amending the D.C. Charter, it will have to be voted on by D.C. residents this November. The D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics announced yesterday that the language of the charter amendment will be published in the D.C. Register next week, part of its slow process toward getting to D.C. voters.

What does this mean for Harry Thomas, Jr., soon to be known to the Bureau of Prisons as inmate 31866-016? Not much, really. Thomas resigned his seat before he pleaded guilty to stealing $350,000 in city funds, which means that he may still be able to run in the 2018 Ward 5 race.

The Post’s Mike DeBonis writes that there will also be two other charter amendments: one that would prohibit a mayor convicted of a felony while in office from occupying the post ever again and another that would allow the council to remove a member on a 5/6th vote. And if the necessary number of signatures are obtained, there also may be a vote on an initiative that would ban corporate contributions to D.C. campaigns.