Ex-Official Sues Over Dismissal in Road Contract Case

A former top official in the D.C. Department of Transportation accused the agency's director of firing him because he exposed what he said were improper contracts between Fort Myer Construction Co. and two firms hired to work on city road projects, according to a lawsuit recently filed in U.S. District Court.

Stephen P. Amos, who worked as chief of staff for Emeka Moneme, also said then-General Counsel Peter Nickles did not offer to protect him and his subordinates from retaliation for the disclosures.

Amos, who was hired last summer, claims that he was fired in January after he tried to pressure D.C. officials to take action against two District companies, Fort Myer and Peake Construction. Amos claims that the two firms collaborated to qualify for funding preferences for "disadvantaged firms," even though Peake was little more than a front for a third-party contractor that did the work.

Nickles, who is now the city's interim attorney general, acknowledged that Amos met with him late last year, but he said Amos failed to provide any evidence to prove his allegations. Nickles said he urged Amos to meet with the D.C. inspector general's office.

"It troubles me when I provide immediate access to my office and I refer the man to the IG . . . and he meets with me" and does not provide evidence, Nickles said. "Then he writes a complaint and tries to get attention."

Adam Augustine Carter, Amos's attorney, called his client a "courageous whistle-blower."

"He was tasked with investigating corruption in D-DOT and then terminated for talking about what had been discovered to Nickles and Moneme," Carter said.

The lawsuit, filed in March, claims that Fort Myer fraudulently qualified for federal funds by subcontracting with Peake Construction, which then hired DEN United General of Woodbridge to do the work.

In the suit, Amos described Peake as a "shell company with no vehicles, equipment, business office or viable assets."

Chris Kerns, general counsel for Fort Myer, denied any wrongdoing and said Peake is a legitimate company.

According to a letter obtained by The Washington Post, Peake signed an agreement with DEN United in April 2007 to use its crews and equipment on a Foxhall Road construction project.

A spokesman for Peake Construction said the company can provide documentation to substantiate that it is in good standing as a disadvantaged business enterprise (DBE) and that it was in compliance with the city's contract.