Attorney General will guide probes into allegations against Gray

By Nikita Stewart

The District office of the Attorney General announced Tuesday that it will

guide investigations into allegations made by former mayoral candidate Sulaimon Brown that he received payments from two of Mayor Vincent Gray's campaign aides to keep up political attacks on incumbent mayor Adrian M. Fenty during last year's primary campaign.

Though Gray (D) said Sunday that he was asking Attorney General Irvin B. Nathan to look into Brown's claims, the attorney general's office said that it will guide probes launched by the Office of the Inspector General and the Office of Campaign Finance "in order to avoid duplication of efforts and in an attempt to assure that the matters are investigated promptly and thoroughly," according to a statement released Tuesday.

"We will work to ensure that these investigative agencies have full and prompt access to D.C. government records, as well as to personnel with knowledge of these matters," the statement said. "The OAG will continue to provide impartial advice to our government clients while preserving our mandate of independence as the lawyers representing the interests of the citizens of the District of Columbia."

Tuesday's announcement follows criticism that any investigation of Brown's allegations should have more independence.

The two Gray campaign staffers have denied Brown's allegations. Brown, a 40-year-old auditor, also says that Gray promised him job in the administration in exchange for attacks on Fenty. Gray has said he promised Brown a job interview, but not in return for bashing Fenty.

