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DCWatch September 2, 2011 Mr. Togo West Mr. Kenneth McGhie Mr. Paul Stenbjorn Re: Complaint Regarding Andrea Pringle Messrs West, McGhie, and Stenbjorn: I am filing a formal complaint against Andrea Pringle for violating the District’s Corrupt Election Practices Act (DC Code 1-1001.14). Ms. Pringle is, and for the past eighteen months has been, a resident of Montgomery County, Maryland, living at 5805 Edson Lane, #203, North Bethesda, Maryland 20852. She, nevertheless, voted in the September 9, 2010, primary election in the District of Columbia. As you may know, on Tuesday, August 30, Mayor Gray held a press conference to announce his selection of Ms. Pringle as his Deputy Chief of Staff. In a press release (http://www.dcwatch.com/mayor/110830a.htm), Mayor Gray stated that, "Chris Murphy [his nominee as Chief of Staff] and Andi Pringle bring vast experience, expertise, political acumen and understanding of multiple aspects of how a government like the District functions. . . . More importantly, they are committed to ensuring we have an ethical, accountable, and transparent administration that continues working hard to advance by vision of ‘One City’ moving forward together." On her resume (http://www.dcwatch.com/mayor/110830c.htm), Ms. Pringle gives the above address in Bethesda as her residence. During the August 30, 2011, press conference at which her appointment was announced, and at a subsequent August 31, 2011, breakfast meeting with a group of reporters, Ms. Pringle publicly stated that she has lived in Montgomery County for the past eighteen months. The mayor’s press release, cited above, even promised that, "Ms. Pringle will move back into the District." It is clear that at the time Ms. Pringle voted in the District’s September 9, 2010, primary election, she lived in Bethesda, Maryland, and was fully aware that she was not a resident of the District of Columbia. It is especially troubling that Ms. Pringle chose to violate the District’s election laws given her background. As her resume notes, Ms. Pringle has an extensive background as an elections and political campaign consultant, and has worked on a variety of local and national political campaigns (for example, for Howard Dean, Carol Mosely Braun, Bill Richardson, and Vincent Orange), and in that capacity she would be expected to have gained familiarity with basic election laws and practices — for example, that only duly registered voters can vote, and only in the jurisdiction where they live, and that a voter’s possible intention to move into a jurisdiction at some time in the future does not give a voter the right to vote in that jurisdiction more than a year in advance. In a Washington Post article published today, Ms. Pringle acknowledged that she voted in a District election while living in Maryland (Nikita Stewart, "New Appointee Voted in D.C., Lived in Md.," http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dc-wire/post/new-appointee-voted-in-dc-lived-in-md/2011/09/01/gIQAfJPavJ_blog.html#pagebreak). Given the facts in this matter and Ms. Pringle’s acknowledgment of them, I hope that the Board’s investigation and resolution of this matter can be concluded swiftly. If you require any additional information, I can be reached at 202-234-6982 or dorothy@dcwatch.com. Sincerely, Dorothy Brizill |
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