Barry misses ceremonial meeting of D.C. mayors

It was supposed to be a meeting of the mayors to honor a mayor — but it was one mayor short.

Last week, the District held a ceremony to rename the 400 block of T Street Northwest “Home of Walter Washington Way” in honor of the late Walter E. Washington, the city’s first mayor under home rule.

Mayor Anthony A. Williams and former Mayor Sharon Pratt attended the event, held on the street in front of Mr. Washington’s former home, but former “Mayor for Life” Marion Barry was conspicuously absent.

Mr. Barry’s name was on the morning’s program as a speaker, and he was scheduled to make remarks after Mr. Williams and immediately before Mrs. Pratt.

Several speakers, including Mrs. Pratt, said during the ceremony that they were sure Mr. Barry would come before the ceremony was over.

He never did. Mr. Barry later said he could not attend because he was at the hospital with his 89-year-old mother, Mattie Cummings.

Working it

Kelvin J. Robinson, Mayor Anthony A. Williams’ former chief of staff, has been barred by federal officials from working for the D.C. government.

So he has found a new job lobbying his old colleagues.

Mr. Robinson is nearing the end of his two-year ban from city employment, which was imposed when he settled with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel. The office’s probe found he violated the federal Hatch Act by asking subordinates to work for Mr. Williams’ 2002 re-election campaign.

Mr. Robinson resigned on July 7, 2004, and agreed not to seek or accept a city job for two years, starting Aug. 1, 2004.

Still, he’s been in frequent contact with his former colleagues in recent months.

According to recent filings with the D.C. Office of Campaign Finance, Mr. Robinson earned $45,000 during the first half of 2006 from A-1 Construction and Consulting to lobby for “Greater Southeast service expansion.”

A-1 Construction is owned by prominent lobbyist and political fundraiser Kerry S. Pearson, who has earned hundreds and thousands of dollars in lobbying fees in recent years from Greater Southeast Community Hospital.

Story Continues →