D.C. COUNCIL
Bill Asserts Control Over Cable Channel After Clash With Fenty
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Wednesday, July 1, 2009
The D.C. Council approved emergency legislation yesterday to clarify its control over what is televised on cable Channel 13 after a dispute with Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D) over the airing of a taped deposition on the donation of a used fire truck and ambulance to a town in the Dominican Republic.
On Thursday, two council committees took the deposition of Ronald Moten, co-founder of Peaceoholics. The nonprofit organization had received the city-owned equipment and planned to ship it to Sosúa earlier this year. The shipment was stopped after council members expressed concern that the equipment was improperly donated.
Originally, the deposition was to be held behind closed doors. But council members Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3) and Phil Mendelson (D-At Large) questioned Moten publicly at his request while directing the Office of Cable Television to keep it off the air. They feared that televising the deposition might hurt the probe by influencing the testimony of later witnesses.
The television office showed it anyway after consulting D.C. Attorney General Peter Nickles.
Nickles said that he believed the deposition should be televised because the council used the cable TV office to help tape it. "Once you bring in cable TV . . . it is wrong, it's egregious to deny that to the public."
Council members said the executive branch had no right to interfere in council business, particularly after Channel 13 was designated for the council's use under 2002 legislation.
During his deposition, Moten said he became involved in donating the equipment after being approached by David Jannarone, director of development in the office of the deputy mayor for planning and economic development, and Sinclair Skinner, Fenty's friend and fraternity brother. Peaceoholics was to serve as a conduit.
Moten said he received a check for $11,630 from Liberty Industries to cover the costs. Business records show that Skinner is associated with Liberty Engineering and Design LLC.
