In Politics, Time Is Everything

"I don't know how this happened," said Morgan, now director of constituent services for council member David A. Catania (I-At Large). "I've never had any problems in the past, even through furloughs, I've always received my money."

Morgan said that she has worked for two former council members, Wilhelmina Rolark and Bill Lightfoot, and that the government never deducted money from her account when she changed jobs.

Morgan submitted her resignation Dec. 29 and left her job with Schwartz that day. She started as director of constituent services for Catania on Jan. 22.

According to a letter from a Chevy Chase Bank official, Morgan's payroll check was deposited directly into her account Jan. 12, and the payment was reversed four days later.

Johnetta Bond, director of the Office of Pay and Retirement Services, said that the city can reverse a payment if a mistake is made, but that the employee must be notified ahead of time.

"Normally the agency will notify us so that payment can be replaced immediately," Bond said.

A city official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because this is a personnel issue, said Morgan will be paid during the next payroll cycle. Schwartz's office declined to comment.

Morgan, who is not a member of a union, said the delay is an unfair penalty for quitting a job. She said she contacted the D.C. Department of Employment Services Wage-Hour Office but was told it doesn't handle complaints from District government employees, who must go to their union or the council's personnel and payroll offices.

"I'm upset because I didn't get paid for a week I worked for," Morgan said. "They offset my bank account and caused trauma. I feel it was unnecessary."

Crunch Time for Fundraisers

Candidates for the open Ward 4 D.C. Council seat held a flurry of fundraisers this week in anticipation of Wednesday's campaign finance report filing, which is seen as a key indication of the viability of the 21 announced contenders.

Riggs Park advisory neighborhood commissioner Muriel Bowser is expected to post big numbers, given Fenty's endorsement at her campaign kickoff. Rival Michael A. Brown also had some boldface names as hosts for a Tuesday night event.

The fundraiser was at the Georgetown home of Oakley and Sydney Brooks, the parents of two-time council candidate Sam Brooks, who worked for a time as the Ward 2 coordinator for Fenty's mayoral campaign before launching a failed bid for the Ward 3 council seat last fall. Sam Brooks was also listed on the invitation as a host.