Earlier today, we suggested that someone from the Council’s subpoena-serving office get down to Moultrie Courthouse, where Sulaimon Brown was to testify this afternoon. Turns out that wasn’t necessary: Brown voluntarily said he’d testify during the hearing, reports Mike DeBonis. He’ll appear June 6.

Sulaimon Brown, the elusive individual who has so far done quite the job ducking the D.C. Council’s attempts to subpoena and compel him to testify about the hiring practices of the Gray administration, will appear in D.C. Superior Court this afternoon.

The D.C. Council passed emergency legislation yesterday which would allow it to take Sulaimon Brown and Cherita Whiting to court in order enforce subpoenas to compel their testimony — and the strategy might actually work.

UPDATE: Quick work by the Council! (Hey, maybe they all wanted to go get in line at Shake Shack.) After introducing the bill, Cheh and Tommy Wells had a brief back and forth regarding punishments for ducking the subpoena (basically, anyone doing so would be held in contempt), then the bill passed.

Both Sulaimon Brown and Cherita Whiting, who the Council spent serious time and effort subpoenaing to appear at a hearing on the hiring practices of the Gray administration, didn’t show up as expected at the Wilson Building today.

The lengthy quest of Mary Cheh’s office to serve a subpoena to Sulaimon Brown and Cherita Whiting has ended! A statement released this afternoon by the Councilmember says that Brown and Whiting were served notice via certified mail and are expected to appear before the Committee on Government Operations and the Environment on May 13. Mark your calendars, people.

No, really: have you seen Sulaimon Brown? If so, Mary Cheh would really appreciate it if you would let her know.

For those of you concerned that the recent storms inside the highest reaches of the District’s government would have a palpable effect on the city’s already-strained relationship with Congress, well, your fears have been realized. Today, the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform officially launched a probe into allegations made by Sulaimon Brown that people affiliated with Mayor Vince Gray gave him cash and offered him a job during last year’s mayoral campaign.