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Chairman Vincent C. Gray
Statement
Committee of the Whole and Committee on Finance and Revenue joint public oversight roundtable on the operations of the Office of Tax and Revenue

November 15, 2007

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STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN VINCENT C. GRAY 

AT THE JOINT PUBLIC OVERSIGHT ROUNDTABLE BY THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE AND COMMITTEE ON FINANCE AND REVENUE ON "THE OPERATIONS OF THE OFFICE OF TAX AND REVENUE"

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2007,1:00 P.M.

JOHN A. WILSON BUILDING, COUNCIL CHAMBER
1350 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, N.W.

I AM CALLING TO ORDER A JOINT PUBLIC OVERSIGHT ROUNDTABLE BY THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE AND COMMITTEE ON FINANCE AND REVENUE ON "THE OPERATIONS OF THE OFFICE OF TAX AND REVENUE". I AM COUNCIL CHAIRMAN VINCENT C. GRAY. TODAY IS THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2007, THE TIME IS ___, AND WE 'ARE LOCATED IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER OF THE JOHN A. WILSON BUILDING, 1350 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, NW. I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE HAVE BEEN JOINED BY COUNCILMEMBERS _____.  

I WOULD LIKE TO QUICKLY REVIEW THE PROCEDURE FOR TODAY'S HEARING. EACH COUNCILMEMBER WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO MAKE AN OPENING STATEMENT. PUBLIC WITNESSES WILL THEN HAVE THREE MINUTES EACH TO PROVIDE TESTIMONY. FOLLOWING THEIR TESTIMONY, COUNCILMEMBERS WILL HAVE ONE ROUND OF FIVE MINUTES TO ASK QUESTIONS.

WE WILL THEN HEAR TESTIMONY FROM DR. NAT WAR M. GANDHI, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, DEBORAH NICHOLS, ; D.C. AUDITOR, AND SHERYL HOBBS NEWMAN. COUNCILMEMBERS WILL THEN HAVE TWO-THREE ROUNDS OF 10 MINUTES EACH TO ASK QUESTIONS TO THIS PANEL.

THE PURPOSE OF TODAY'S HEARING IS TO BEGIN THE COUNCIL'S INVESTIGATION INTO THE MANAGEMENT, PROCEDURES, CONTROL SYSTEMS AND STRUCTURES WITHIN THE OFFICE OF TAX AND REVENUE OF THE OFFICE OF CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER THAT PERMITTED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF DISTRICT TAX FUNDS TO BE STOLEN, AND TO DETERMINE THE STEPS NECESSARY TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE OF THESE ILLICIT ACTIVITIES.

THE REVELATION THAT THIS HORRIFIC ACT HAS OCCURRED OVER A PROTRACTED PERIOD HAS BESMIRCHED THE REPUTATION OF THE DISTRICT GOVERNMENT, THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AND A NUMBER OF MANAGERS INVOLVED WITH THE OFFICE OF TAX AND REVENUE, THE LOCUS OF THIS STUNNING THEFT.

MORE SPECIFICALLY, THE OBJECTIVES OF OUR WORK ARE:

  • TO REVIEW THE SCOPE OF THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE THEFT OF MILLIONS OF DISTRICT TAXPAYER DOLLARS FROM THE OFFICE OF TAX AND REVENUE OF THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AND THE ADEQUACY OF THIS INVESTIGATION IN EXPOSING ALL FACTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS FRAUD AND EMBEZZLEMENT.
  • TO DETERMINE THE WEAKNESSES IN INTERNAL CONTROLS THAT PERMITTED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO BE STOLEN.
  • TO DETERMINE THE AREAS WHICH NEED TO BE STRENGTHENED IN ORDER TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE.
  • TO DETERMINE IF THERE WERE FAILURES, AND THE EXTENT AND SCOPE OF SUCH FAILURES, IN ESTABLISHED EXTERNAL CONTROLS THAT SHOULD HAVE DETECTED THIS THEFT.
  • TO DETERMINE IF THERE WERE PREVIOUS SIGNS OF FRAUDULENT ACTIVITY AND WHY THEY WERE IGNORED OR WENT UNHEEDED.
  • TO ENSURE THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OF CORRECTION.
  • TO STRENGTHEN THE COUNCIL'S ROLE IN OVERSIGHT AND MONITORING OF THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, RECOGNIZING THAT THE OCFO WAS CREATED BY THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES DURING THE CONTROL PERIOD AND THAT THE CONGRESS ESTABLISHED THE DUTIES AND STILL SETS THE COMPENSATION LEVEL OF THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER.

IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THE COUNCIL'S OVERSIGHT EFFORTS, ON. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20' A RESOLUTION WILL BE PRESENTED TO THE COUNCIL REQUESTING AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH A SPECIAL COMMITTEE TO OVERSEE THIS CONTINUING INVESTIGATION AND TO ENGAGE OUTSIDE COUNSEL AND A FINANCIAL AUDITING FIRM TO FACILITATE AND EXPEDITE THE COUNCIL'S WORK.

I WANT TO REEMPHASIZE THAT THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE COUNCIL'S INQUIRY INTO THE FACTS SURROUNDING THIS SITUATION, UTLIMATELY CULMINATING IN A REPORT OF FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON EACH OF THE STATED OBJECTIVES.

THE COUNCIL RECOGNIZES AND APPRECIATES THAT THERE IS AN ONGOING CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION AND THAT THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER HIMSELF IS TAKING AGGRESSIVE STEPS TO UNCOVER HOW THIS SITUATION OCCURRED. BUT THESE IMPORTANT AND NECESSARY ACTIONS ARE NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR THE ROLE OF THE CITY'S LEGISLATIVE BODY.

OVER THE PAST DECADE, THIS CITY HAS WORKED HARD TO RESTORE CONFIDENCE IN OUR FINANCIAL STABILITY AND VITALITY. WE HAVE ESTABLISHED A STRONG FUND BALANCE UNMATCHED BY VIRTUALLY ANY MUNICIPALITY, EARNED A SOLID REPUTATION ON WALL STREET AND HAVE BEEN LAUDED WIDELY FOR A SEEMINGLY MIRACULOUS FINANCIAL RECOVERY. NOW THIS!

I AM INFURIATED THAT THIEVES AND CROOKS FOUND IT POSSIBLE TO RAID THE DISTRICIT'S TREASURY TO THE TUNE OF TENS OP MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, LAVISH THEMSELVES FROM THESE ILL-GOTTEN RESOURCES AND WILLFULLY FLOUT THE LAW WITH SEEMING IMPUNITY.

IT IS AN OUTRAGE THAT THIS WAS PERMITTED TO: GO UNDETECTED FOR SO LONG. I AM FERVENTLY COMMITTED TO SEEING THAT THE PERPETRATORS ARE PROSECUTED TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW. BUT I AM EQUALLY COMMITTED TO UNCOVERING THE WEAKNESSES IN -OUR SYSTEMS WHICH ALLOWED THIS TO OCCUR AND TO FIX THEM SO THAT CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS OF THIS CITY FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT THEIR TAX DOLLARS ARE PROTECTED AND THAT INTEGRITY IN GOVERNMENT IS A REALITY NOT JUST AN ILLUSORY GOAL.

I WILL NOW TURN TO THE CO-CHAIR FOR THIS HEARING, COUNCILMEMBER JACK EVANS, WHO SERVES AS CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE AND REVENUE, FOR OPENING REMARKS.

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