In the months since the March 2 raids, Thompson has withdrawn from his roles as a prominent executive, generous philanthropist and prolific political fundraiser.
The most dramatic gesture came Tuesday, the day federal prosecutors accused Thompson of spending $653,800 on an illicit “shadow campaign” for Mayor Vincent C. Gray (D). In a release that day, the firm known for nearly three decades as Thompson, Cobb, Bazilio and Associates announced that it is now Bazilio Cobb Associates.
A spokeswoman for the firm said chief executive Ralph Bazilio bought Thompson’s stake, listed as 79 percent in a 2007 report by city insurance regulators. The spokeswoman, Barbara Hutto, declined to discuss the terms of the deal.
Thompson had previously stepped down from the firm’s management only weeks after the federal raids. In April, he relinquished his role as chairman of his health-care firm, D.C. Chartered Health Plan, and he is pursuing a sale of that company, which runs the District’s health-care programs for the needy.
District officials have indicated that Chartered’s contract is unlikely to be renewed as long as Thompson remains an owner.
Karen Dale, a spokeswoman for Chartered, said Thursday that sale discussions continue. “We have some offers, and we have a special committee of the board that is designated to review those offers, and we’re in that process at this time,” she said.
Thompson, 57, has not been charged or named in open court or in court filings. But three people familiar with the federal investigation said Thompson is the “co-conspirator” referred to in the prosecution of Jeanne Clarke Harris — a close Thompson associate who has admitted to participating in the shadow campaign and long-running straw donation schemes.
Charging documents in the Harris case describe long-running criminal activity, starting with “straw donation” arrangements that date back to at least 2001. Thompson, according to prosecutors, directed a scheme in which he reimbursed Harris and her companies, friends, relatives and employees for thousands of dollars in donations they made. Authorities allege that Thompson sent $44,000 through Harris to Gray’s 2010 campaign alone.
Prosecutors wrote that Thompson continued his work on the “shadow campaign” at least through New Year’s Eve. That is when he allegedly sent Harris a $161,569 check to cover taxes incurred after he asked her to restate her income on tax returns to reflect the political expenditures.
Ten days later, the Washington Post reported Thursday, Harris met with Gray to discuss the unreported spending.
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