“Vincent Gray knew”: The few words that DC residents have been speculating about were uttered as confirmation early last week. And as the days dwindle as the April 1st primary approaches, it appears we may be seeing the final days of the Gray administration.
If you are familiar with the Netflix series, House of Cards, then you may be somewhat up to speed on what is happening in the District right now. Jeffrey Thompson, a lower level version of Raymond Tusk in my opinion, is the businessman who recently pleaded guilty to funneling millions of dollars in unreported campaign funds to various candidates, including DC mayor Vincent Gray.
Gray denies having knowledge of the $425,000 in funds that were spent on a shadow campaign to get him elected, but last Monday in court Thompson stated otherwise. He testified that Vincent Gray was aware of the illegal donations and that there was a face-to-face meeting between the two men to discuss the specifics.
In spite of the fact that Thompson has openly admitted Gray’s participation in the scandal, Gray still remains unmoved and claims that Thompson’s testimony is simply an attempt to finagle a better plea deal. Gray then took to the media asking residents who they believe, ““A greedy man attempting to save himself, or me, a public servant who has dedicated his entire career to giving back to our communities?”
That question may be answered very soon. The candidate who was once the front-runner could have potentially changed the dynamics of the election. Candidates such as Muriel Bowser are ensuring voters that they will swap out the dirty politics and usher in a new era of integrity to the mayor’s office, and she has grabbed the attention of many District residents.
With just 13 days until the primary, voters have already begun to trickle into the voting booth to cast a vote for their desired candidate during this early voting period. As we wait these final days until all the votes are cast, the voters will decide whether Gray’s political indiscretions have cut his mayoral term short. We’ll have to see just how much the District’s residents are eager to hold their political leaders accountable.
Do you think Vincent Gray Deserves a Second Term?
-Aliyah
