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NEIGHBORHOOD & COMMISSION TRANSPARENCY UPDATE 📢
Dear Ward 8 & SMD 8A01 Neighbors,
As your elected Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, I believe in total transparency and keeping our community informed every step of the way.
Today, I am publicly attaching two official administrative disclosure notices that I have formally filed with District oversight bodies:
- Formal Notice to the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability (BEGA)
- Formal Notice & Recusal Disclosure to ANC 8A Chair Jamila White and the Office of Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (OANC)
Why I Am Sharing These Notices
I have initiated civil legal action in D.C. Superior Court against the District of Columbia and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) regarding the bad-faith administration and arbitrary payout reductions within the MPD Crime Solvers / Reward Program.
I am filing and sharing these disclosures to make several key points crystal clear to our neighborhood:
- Predates My Public Office: All underlying events, my security video contributions, and the initial reward promises occurred between 2020 and 2023, well before I was elected and sworn in as your Commissioner in January 2025.
- Reaffirming My Promise to Local Families: When MPD originally promised the $25,000 homicide reward, I pledged up to $2,000 per family to help purchase tombstones for two young men lost to violence in our community—David Farewell (Murder Victim in Video provided to MPD) and resident Brandon Gant whose murder took place in ANC 8A01. Despite MPD arbitrarily cutting that payout to $5,000 without explanation, I reaffirm my financial commitment to both families to this day.
- Strict Ethics Compliance & Recusal: To ensure zero conflict of interest, I have formally recused myself from any ANC 8A discussions, deliberations, or votes concerning my personal claims against the District. Furthermore, I certify that I have not discussed this litigation with fellow Commissioners.
- Fighting for Systemic Program Reform: Beyond recovering earned funds, my focus is on using my public platform to compel D.C. leadership to fix the Crime Solvers Program. FOIA releases confirmed MPD operates this $500k+ program with zero written rubrics, no committee charters, and no administrative appeal process. When programs designed to encourage crime-solving operate with unwritten rules and secret payout cuts, public trust is broken.
Status of Local Commission Business
On August 3, 2026, I submitted an official request for a Special ANC 8A Meeting to vote on the Nicholson Street SE Community Benefits Agreement (CBA)—which secures vital educational funding for Lawrence E. Boone Elementary and Kramer Middle School—along with a resolution calling for public reward program oversight. My recusal ensures that the Commission can handle community business like the CBA with complete integrity.
Neighborhood safety and public trust require accountability at every level. Please feel free to read the full disclosure documents attached to this post.
As always, thank you for your continued support and partnership in making our neighborhood safer and stronger.
In Service,
Tom Donohue
Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, SMD 8A01
📞 (202) 660-9950
📧 tom@anc8a01.com / tom.donohue@anc.dc.gov
