It doesn’t look like Denver Mayor Hancock’s man to take control at DIA will make a totally smooth landing into the new position.
Council members have questions for Phillip Washington — most having to do with his former agency’s sexual harassment hotline that cost taxpayers $8,000 per call under multiple no-bid contracts now under investigation by the Los Angeles district attorney.
Those contracts were awarded to Peace Over Violence, a charity led by a close friend and campaign donor of L.A. County Supervisor and Metro board member Sheila Kuehl, Axios reports.
Kuehl “privately pushed” for the agency to make the hire, Fox 11 reported. Kuehl’s office said the hire was Washington’s decision.
The Denver Post also reports:
Under Washington’s watch at RTD, a senior manager was sentenced to 18 months in prison for taking up to $145,000 in bribes over six years. Washington was named as a witness in that federal case, but no complaints or allegations were filed against him personally.
Hancock is defending his pick but the full council must vote to approve the appointment — a new rule recently passed with the help of Denver’s favorite socialist Democrat, Candi CdeBaca.
“The timing of any public official’s departure during an ongoing criminal investigation where the facts are not clear is certainly of concern,” CdeBaca said in an emailed statement. “This would be the type of situation that would require a higher level of scrutiny in the City Council confirmation process that our new ordinance was intended to address.”
In spite of that congratulatory pat on the back CdeBaca gives herself, it will be interesting to see if the ordinance makes any difference at all, or if the council just goes ahead and rubber stamps the mayor’s pick.