D.C. Log Cabin Club calls for Thomas resignation

D.C. Council member Harry Thomas (D-Ward 5) (Washington Blade file photo by Michael Key)

The gay GOP group, Log Cabin Republicans of Washington, D.C. is calling on D.C. Council member Harry Thomas (D-Ward 5) to resign from office following a Dec. 2 FBI raid on Thomas’ house as part of a federal investigation into allegations of misuse of city funds.

Through his lawyer, Thomas has denied any criminal wrong doing and said he expects to be proven innocent of any charges that may be filed against him.

The city’s attorney general, Irvin Nathan, filed a civil suit against Thomas in June demanding that he return to the city $300,000 in public funds that Nathan claimed Thomas allegedly funneled through intermediaries into organizations under his control. Without admitting to any wrong doing, Thomas agreed to reimburse the $300,000 to the city.

But the United States Attorney’s office opened its own investigation into Thomas’ handling of city funds and last Friday’s FBI raid on his home is said to have been a result of the federal probe. Thomas has yet to be charged in the investigation.

“Mr. Thomas has used his office to enrich himself at taxpayer expense,” said Robert Turner, president of the D.C. Log Cabin group. “It is revolting on many levels. We applaud the few members of the Council who have called on Thomas to resign,” Turner said in a statement. “But there are eight still who sit in silence. They need to stand up for real ethics reform. And that can only begin with the resignation of Harry Thomas.”

Gay D.C. Council member David Catania (I-At-Large) is among the Council members who have called for Thomas’ resignation.

Thomas has been a longtime supporter of LGBT rights. He voted in 2009 for legislation that legalized same-sex marriage in the District. In the city’s 2010 Council election, Thomas defeated gay Republican and Log Cabin member challenger Tim Day by a margin of 84 percent to 6 percent.