Mayor Anthony A. Williams responded yesterday to a D.C. Council investigation into contracts related to a recent trade trip to China by announcing that he will seek private funds for future overseas trips.
Deborah K. Nichols, the auditor for the D.C. Council, recently accused aides to Williams and City Administrator Robert C. Bobb of perpetrating "a sham" by hiring two consultants to plan the China trip without written contracts and then attempting to make it appear they were trying to get bids.
Williams (D) criticized Nichols for commenting on a report that has not yet been completed or shared with him. Nonetheless, he said he has decided to stop using public money to pay for foreign travel.
"I don't believe the government should be paying for trips anyway,'' Williams said during his weekly press briefing. "What we want to do, in a documented, transparent way, is to have sponsors outside of the government pay for the trips outside of the country."
Williams headed a 30-member delegation of D.C. officials and business leaders to Beijing for a four-day visit in October. He suggested that such future trips could be paid for by the Chamber of Commerce or other trade or business organizations.
Asked whether having business groups sponsor trips was ethically troublesome, the mayor, who has been criticized for spending time away from the District during frequent trips, appeared a bit exasperated.
"If you say the government shouldn't spend any money because that's the general public's wish -- and I respect that -- and you believe these trips are important, there is no Santa Claus," Williams said. "It has to happen some way."
Last year, Williams spent all or part of 83 days out of town, including trips to China, Rome, Barcelona and Paris.
Nichols testified Monday about contracts related to the China trip before the council's Government Operations Committee. Nichols criticized aides to Williams and Bobb for issuing contracts without competitive bidding.
Two of the consultants, Lily Hu and Melinda Yee-Franklin, were hired to help plan the trade mission to China. Another consultant, Ira Sockowitz, was paid $19,900 to supervise Hu and Yee-Franklin, Nichols said.
Williams likened Nichols's comments to a judge commenting in the middle of a trial. "I really think it's inappropriate for an auditor, conducting her job in a professional capacity, to be making public statements before a draft of her work has been done or furnished," he said. "That's just basic professionalism, and I really regret that that has not happened."
Nichols declined yesterday to respond. She said she plans to release her report tomorrow.
In other business, Williams said he will sign the $4.94 billion 2006 budget approved by the council Tuesday, even though he said the Corrections Department spending cuts could lead to layoffs later in the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. He said he will send the council a letter outlining his continuing concerns.
Staff writer Yolanda Woodlee contributed to this report.
