Fox News Channel host Eric Bolling got in a bit of a tiff with D.C. Councilmember Marion Barry on Thursday afternoon, telling the former mayor that he should be removed from office following his acceptance of a censure and fine from the District’s ethics board.
The segment happened just hours after Barry (D-Ward 8) received a $13,600 penalty from the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability for taking $6,800 from two construction firms that have contracts with the city. Barry’s interview started out with a discussion of the “living wage” bill the D.C. Council passed this week, mandating that large retailers such as Wal-Mart pay employees in the District at least $12.50 an hour.
With the Council voting to send the bill to Mayor Vince Gray—who has not yet said if he’ll veto it—Wal-Mart has said that it will cancel construction of three stores in D.C. Bolling asked Barry to justify his support of the bill, which could cost the city several thousand jobs.
“We’re talking major economic development for the D.C. area that, frankly, needs it, sir,” Bolling said. Barry repeated his comments from Wednesday’s Council hearing, saying that Wal-Mart is “sticking us up” by threatening to pull out of its investment in the District over a wage law.
Then Bolling turned to Barry’s latest ethical troubles. “You lose credibility with our viewers when on one hand you’re being censured and fined for taking some money you shouldn’t have been taking but you’ll vote against bringing thousands of jobs to a city, to Washington, D.C., which frankly needs it,” the host said.
Barry mostly declined to discuss the censure and fine, but argued that his support of the Large Retailer Accountability Act has actually made him more trustworthy with D.C. residents. “I may lose credibility with you and your viewers, but I’ve gained credibility—I mean I was mayor for 16 years, another mayor for four years, and I’ve been in this business since 31 years, trying to bring dignity and justice,” he said.
Barry was mayor of D.C. for 16 years total—from 1979 to 1991, and again from 1995 to 1999.