ScandalD.C. Homeland Security Director resigns amid scandal
Washington D.C.’s homeland security director, Millicent D. West, abruptly resigned earlier this week amid the ongoing federal investigation of a former District Council member
Millicent West - now resigned // Source: hsema.dc.gov
Washington D.C.’s homeland security director, Millicent D. West, abruptly resigned earlier this week amid the ongoing federal investigation of a former District Council member.
In her resignation letter, West wrote that she was stepping down immediately “to ensure the work of the agency can carry on without any distractions. . . . It’s in the best interest of the city and in the best interest of the agency.”
She added, “given the current distractions, I believe that this is the best decision for both my family and the District.”
West has not been accused of any wrongdoing and her departure is entirely voluntary.
The announcement comes as Harry Thomas Jr., a former DC Council Member, pleaded guilty to stealing more than $350,000 in public funds to pay for personal vacations, clothing, and cars. From April 2007 to August 2009, Thomas used the D.C. Children and Youth Investment Trust Corp. to launder the money.
With the help of Marshall D. Banks, the founder of Langston 21st Century Foundation, and Jimmy Garvin, the foundation’s program director, who both pleaded guilty, Thomas transferred funds from the trust to Langston’s foundation, which then signed more than $300,000 in checks to two entities Thomas controlled.
Beginning in the summer of 2008 until she was appointed by then Mayor Adrian Fenty to become the head of D.C.’s emergency management agency in November 2009, West was the president and chief executive of the trust.
According to documents released by prosecutors Thomas funneled $110,000 in trust funds to the D.C. Young Democrats for a ball, which the organization never reported.
West has said that the told Thomas to find another organization to accept money from the trust as she was wary of giving funds to a political group.
Phil Mendelson, the D.C. Council member at large and the chairman of the Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary, said West had been a good director and understood why she wanted to resign.
“She’s in the best place to know how distracting it [the investigation] was getting,” Mendelson said. “Her name has been in the news.”
