Loose Lips is Washington City Paper‘s flagship political column, covering all things D.C. politics. Here you will find stories about the D.C. Council, local politicians, the mayor, attorney general, ANCs, elections, government agencies, and more.
A D.C. Employee Got Caught Having Sex on the Job and Filming It On His Work Phone
The Public Service Commission, an otherwise sleepy agency charged with regulating D.C.’s gas and electric utilities, seldom makes the news. But for the past few months, the PSC has been hiding a sexy secret. A now-former chief at PSC was caught having sex with a co-worker while on the clock and filming it with his…
The Council Saved Pay Raises for Child Care Workers. But Another Battle with the CFO Forced Painful Cuts.
You’re probably as tired of reading about the Pay Equity Fund, the chief financial officer, and the 2025 budget as Loose Lips is of writing about them. Nevertheless, there has been enough new drama that LL begs forbearance as he regales you with what is (hopefully) the final chapter in this story. The Council closed…
Council Hearing Exposes Gaps in the John Falcicchio Investigations
The more the public has learned about the investigations into John Falcicchio’s sexual harassment of women, the more inadequate those efforts appear. The latest example came during Wednesday’s Council hearing on the scandal that has cost the city more than $1 million (so far) and sent Mayor Muriel Bowser’s top aide packing. Councilmembers and witnesses…
AG Brian Schwalb’s Criminal Investigation of John Falcicchio Has Touched Off a Turf War Over Documents
Nothing has been easy or simple about the investigations into the sexual harassment allegations against John Falcicchio, and Attorney General Brian Schwalb’s probe of potential criminal charges is no exception. Loose Lips hears that a messy turf war has broken out among the various entities to examine the scandal embroiling Mayor Muriel Bowser’s former right-hand…
D.C. Judges Keep Tossing MPD Gun Seizures Out of Court. Have Cops Changed Their Ways?
Any die-hard sports fan knows this simple truth: When a call goes in your team’s favor, the refs are wise and impartial. When one goes against it, the refs are incompetent and biased. Why think too hard about what really happened when you can just blame the people calling balls and strikes? Prosecutors and police…
Trayon White Left for Vacation Before a Key Budget Vote—Again
The remote work revolution means you can join a meeting from just about anywhere. But even the most dedicated remote employee will tell you that their level of engagement in those meetings tends to drop when joining from, say, a tropical destination. So Loose Lips has to wonder whether it was really the wisest decision…
D.C.’s 2025 Budget Is the Worst on Housing Issues in a Decade, Advocates Say. What Happens Now?
Loose Lips wrote a little over a year ago that the city’s budget amounted to a retreat on housing and homelessness issues. Perhaps he spoke a bit too soon. If the District’s 2024 budget was a step back from the city’s commitments to keeping people housed, then the 2025 budget approved by the Council Wednesday…
The McDuffie-Mendo Sports Betting Overhaul Looks Safe, Despite Attempts to Scuttle It
If a sinkhole had somehow opened up under the Wilson Building Wednesday, Loose Lips wagers that there would hardly be any sports betting lobbyists left in D.C. Just pick your preferred influence peddler and you could find them in attendance as the Council prepared to take a highly consequential vote on the future of sports…
Zachary Parker Challenges Kenyan McDuffie’s Proposed Sports Betting Overhaul
There’s simply too much money and too many politically connected contractors tied up in D.C.’s tortured sports betting regime for it to go down without a fight. And Loose Lips hears there’s one heck of a battle brewing in the Wilson Building over sports wagering. Council Chair Phil Mendelson and At-Large Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie have…
Here’s How Wendell Felder Pulled Off a Razor-Thin Ward 7 Win
As the dust has settled in Ward 7, the buzz among many local politicos is that Wendell Felder probably should have managed a bigger margin of victory in Tuesday’s Council race. He certainly had enough advantages. Felder had years of name recognition on his side thanks to his time spent in local politics, not to…
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