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D.C. Drafts Suit Against Bank for Tax-Scam Cash
Peter Nickles said he hopes the city can reach a settlement with Bank of America.
(By Haraz N. Ghanbari -- Associated Press)
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After Nickles became acting attorney general in January, council members criticized him for initially failing to sign a "tolling agreement" to waive the statute of limitations for a period and give the District more time to file a lawsuit against Bank of America.
In the spring, Nickles and the bank signed the tolling agreement.
Phil Mendelson (D-At Large), chairman of the Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary and a frequent critic of Nickles's, pressed him yesterday to explain why he hesitated to act.
Nickles responded that the city can seek to recover the full amount handled by Bank of America and informed the council members that he had drafted the potential lawsuit.
During the hearing, Nickles faced tough questions from other council members, particularly Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3) and several activists and leaders of the police union and the union that represents city attorneys.
Among their complaints:
· Nickles's involvement in the creation of police checkpoints set up in Trinidad after a spate of shootings, which some people said violated civil rights by barring motorists from the neighborhood.
· His firing of several attorneys in his office.
· And his decision not to reinstate social workers when a panel ruled that they were improperly dismissed after four girls were allegedly killed by their mother, Banita Jacks.
Other council members, including Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4) and David A. Catania (I-At Large), and friends of Nickles's, including former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, said they support his nomination.
Nickles, who has lived in Great Falls for 46 years, said that if he is confirmed, he will rent an apartment or buy a condominium in the city, as the law requires for top city officials. The council committee has not scheduled a vote on his appointment.
