D.C. Council goes behind closed doors

dcogcadmin | September 26, 2011

D.C. Council Chairman Kwame Brown arrived in a conference room for what he said would be a closed door council meeting because it involved personnel matters that he said were consistent with the open meeting act. 

But reporters refused to leave, saying the real agenda was recent feuding and cursing among council members divided over raising taxes on high income residents.

WTOP and ABC7's Mark Segraves shot a photo of Brown's agenda, listing decorum and communications and the handwritten word "profanity,” arguing it was a violation of the open meetings law to exclude the media.

After council members voted unanimously for reporters to leave and they still refused, Brown called police.

D.C. Council Chairman Kwame Brown arrived in a conference room for what he said would be a closed door council meeting because it involved personnel matters that he said were consistent with the open meeting act. 

But reporters refused to leave, saying the real agenda was recent feuding and cursing among council members divided over raising taxes on high income residents.

WTOP and ABC7's Mark Segraves shot a photo of Brown's agenda, listing decorum and communications and the handwritten word "profanity,” arguing it was a violation of the open meetings law to exclude the media.

After council members voted unanimously for reporters to leave and they still refused, Brown called police.

Smiling officers, escorted reporters from the room.

As council members filed out, reporters asked what they discussed. Those who responded said personnel matters. Brown did not.

Click here, to watch theh viideo.