Norton Expresses Confidence in Council Investigations of Tax Scandal (12/4/07)

Washington, DC--Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) praised Chairman Vincent Gray and the D.C. Council for assembling a top-ranking professional legal and auditing team to investigate the embezzlement and theft of millions in tax revenue from the Office of Tax and Revenue. "In addition to its own independent management investigation, the Council has drawn, pro bono, a professional team with unusually deep and extensive experience of the kind that assures that the threads of the scandal can be tracked to wherever they may lead," Norton said. "The reputation of the team of forensic accountants and lawyers who have volunteered to perform this work should lay to rest any remaining concerns about the city's standing on Wall Street." She said that Chairman Gray and Finance and Revenue Chair, Jack Evans deserve particular credit for attracting PricewaterhouseCoopers and WilmerHale, "whose background and experience match the challenge, without cost to taxpayers." The Congresswoman said that she has received no recent inquiries concerning congressional hearings or other actions, and that additional congressional action would amount to unnecessary pile-on.