Barry Documents to be Investigated

There is new information in the fraud allegations currently being leveled against Ward 8 Councilman Marion Barry and members of his staff. An attorney representing one of those staffers now confirms the Inspector General has launched an investigation.

At issue is an allegation that official documents were forged. Public funds earmarked for non-profits manipulated the Councilmember himself, raising questions about perception.

FOX 5 has obtained an audio recording of a meeting held last March in which a member of Barry's staff is heard pointing a finger at her boss, claiming Barry was behind a decision on how to spend earmarked grant money.

The meeting was requested by Sharon Wise, a long time friend of Barry's who had won earmarked funding for a program called Clean and Sober. Wise complained the Councilmember's office had manipulated the funds and she wasn't being properly paid.

The voices on the tape are Wise, Brenda Richardson-- an employee of Barry's-- and Eric Goulet, the council's budget director.

Sharon Wise: "I mean anytime you have somebody...you take $15,000 out of my salary that I have a contract for hire somebody without my knowledge, give it to them and then say, now they are hired, then you should tell them what their assignment is, not me..."

Brenda Richardson: "The Council member did that...the Council member did that"
(voices talking over each other)

Eric Goulet: "Okay we've moved beyond the ideal of how this should work, okay, and I'm glad this is not on tape right now...."

But unknown to Eric Goulet, it was being recorded without his knowledge. At issue is the statement by Brenda Richardson. Her boss, Marion Barry, was making decisions on how to spend earmarked funds-- a revelation At-Large City Councilman David Catania found disturbing.

"She alleges that Mr. Barry is the one who told her how to spend the money," said Catania in an interview Monday. "It does cast a cloud over these funds."

But A. Scott Bolden, an attorney representing Brenda Richardson, says at worst it's a poor choice of words.

"It's easy to understand Ms. Richardson's comments, while a poor choice of words, meant that this was Mr. Barry's feeling in regards to poor performance out of Ms. Wise, but that doesn't mean he was controlling the dollars."
 

Bolden says his client was involved in no wrongdoing and the Inspector General's investigation will ultimately clear her name.

Barry says he's done nothing wrong. Outside the council chamber Tuesday, he complained about the recording, saying it should never have been made.

"Nobody in the meeting consented, Mr. Goulet didn't consent and Ms. Wise ought to be prosecuted for doing something illegal-- simple as that," said Barry.

No one has publicly admitted to making the recording. Council sources familiar with the meeting say Eric Goulet made the statement about the tape out of concern Barry's office was involved in the day-to-day decision making on grant activity, not because it was illegal, but because it raised questions about perception. The framework of the council grants called for individual groups to administer them, not the Councilmember or his office.

Sharon Wise has so far declined to directly address the allegations she is making other than to say she needs to hire an attorney. Barry says Wise is a liar. Sources close to Wise say she has been contacted by the FBI.