The only investigation so far into sexual harassment allegations against John Falcicchio, formerly Mayor Muriel Bowser’s top aide, has been run by lawyers working for the mayor herself. More than four months after Falcicchio’s accusers first came forward, that’s about to change.

The Council voted unanimously Tuesday to order an independent investigation of Falcicchio, who served as Bowser’s chief of staff, deputy mayor for planning and economic development, and top political adviser. The legislation, backed by Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau, directs a law firm managed by the city’s Office of the Inspector General to run the probe.

An initial inquiry run by Bowser’s attorneys at the Mayor’s Office of Legal Counsel has already substantiated some allegations leveled against Falcicchio by one city employee. And a second investigation of another government worker’s claims is set to be released in the coming weeks. Nadeau’s bill orders a review of both of those probes, in addition to a broader investigation of allegations that Falcicchio retaliated against women who rejected his advances and promoted women who didn’t. It could also include a review of any other allegations not covered by the mayor’s investigation, including those described to Loose Lips by a woman seeking city contracts. 

“There are widespread concerns about how the complaints [from these employees] were handled,” Nadeau said Tuesday. “We must ensure that their cases were handled properly.”

A majority of councilmembers called for an independent investigation of Falcicchio’s actions in the wake of Bowser’s release of the first report, which she dumped on a government website just before midnight on the Saturday of a holiday weekend (damaging confidence in her handling of the matter in the process). But Nadeau was the only councilmember to sign on to this bill initially, with Chair Phil Mendelson expressing reservations about an independent investigation as recently as late June. A lobbying blitz from Nadeau and other progressive activists ahead of the Council’s final meeting of the summer managed to bring every single lawmaker on board, a clear sign of the pressure Bowser is facing over the harassment scandal.

The legislation requires the OIG to deliver a report to the Council and mayor within 90 days, but it’s unclear when this new investigation will begin. The bill now heads to Bowser, who said Monday that she would not veto the legislation despite her continued opposition to another inquiry. “I don’t know that the legislation is necessary,” she told reporters, noting that she has already asked the OIG to scrutinize many of these same questions. “So if it’s not really actually necessary, is it just politically expedient for some members of the Council?”

For a closer look at what comes next for the investigation and how it will work, check out our full story online. 

—Alex Koma (tips? akoma@washingtoncitypaper.com)

• Teenagers in the D.C. area and across the country, who otherwise cannot purchase firearms, have easy access to the weapons via websites selling “ghost gun” kits. Kids can purchase the parts online and assemble a working firearm at home. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms believes that one company, Polymer80, is responsible for distributing 88 percent of the ghost guns that police recovered between 2017 and 2021. Ghost guns do not have serial numbers and cannot be traced. [Post]
• D.C. Police Officer Charles Johnson II was found guilty of sexually assaulting his ex-girlfriend’s then-9-year-old daughter. Johnson has denied assaulting the child and maintains his innocence. He could be sentenced to life in prison, and MPD has said his termination is “pending.” [Post]
• Amtrak is still investigating the cause of a derailment Tuesday morning in a tunnel just south of Union Station. Train service was disrupted into Wednesday morning, and no injuries were reported. [Post, WTOP]
• Maryland’s marijuana dispensaries netted about $21 million in sales during the first week of the state’s legalized recreational market. Prince George’s County is seeking to limit where the shops can operate. [Axios]

By City Paper staff (tips? editor@washingtoncitypaper.com)

• The Council overwhelmingly passed a bill that would allow judges to hold more people in jail before they face trial, among other measures designed to respond to rising violence. Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George was the lone dissenting vote, delivering an impassioned argument against it: “We do not need to choose between bad strategies or nothing,” she said. [Post, DCist, WTOP]
• Lawmakers also approved new names for some streets at the St. Elizabeths East campus, after people living there say first responders and delivery drivers had trouble finding their homes. Council Chair Mendelson blamed the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development for years of delays in setting the street names. [WUSA9]
• Mayor Bowser was spotted partying aboard a superyacht owned by tech mogul Alan Dabbiere that docked at the Wharf on July 4. [Axios]