WASHINGTON — D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser says the recently-disbanded political action committee formed by her supporters, that District’s attorney general had called “pay-for-play politics,” had become a distraction.
FreshPAC had raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, including donations of up to $10,000 apiece from developers and other businesses hoping to do business in the District.
“While I’m grateful for support from every corner of the city, I do agree that the FreshPAC had become a distraction, and I very much support their decision to move on,” said Bowser, in a conference call from China.
Wednesday, the treasurer of FreshPAC Ben Soto said all contributions would be returned to donors.
“The leaders of the FreshPAC made a hard pivot away from it,” said Bowser. “They recognized the level of criticism, despite the fact it was operating transparently and above board.”
Bowser said the appearance of impropriety was hampering her administration.
“(They) recognized that any distraction from the important work that we have to do is not something I would support.”
Asked whether participants in the proposed merger between Pepco and Exelon had been solicited, Bowser said she was unaware of anyone reaching out to the parties.
“Nor would I approve of it, if I knew about it,” said Bowser. “That is not something the PAC should have been involved in, and I don’t know that the PAC was involved in.”
