Report: D.C. council's Kwame Brown embroiled in Lincoln Navigator scandal

Washington D.C. Council Chairman Kwame R. Brown finds himself in hot water over his choice of a work vehicle. According to The Washington Post, Brown ordered up a fully-loaded Lincoln Navigator L on the district's dime ahead of his January 2 inauguration, and more than a few eyebrows have been raised at the luxury SUV's $1,900 per month lease payment. Like most localities, our nation's capital is facing a sizeable budget shortfall this year – currently hovering at around $400 million.
But it gets worse from there. Brown reportedly demanded a black-on-black Navigator L for his personal use, and when the first vehicle showed up with a gray interior, he insisted the problem be rectified. As a result, Washington D.C. is currently paying to lease two Navigator L models at $1,900 month each, and the one with the gray cabin apparently can't be returned until October. Additionally, a dealer had to drive the inauguration vehicle from Coldwater, Michigan to Washington, D.C. at a cost of $1,500.

Brown, meanwhile, says that he never intended for the vehicle to be a fully loaded luxury SUV, and that he merely requested a black-on-black model. But The Washington Post reports that emails acquired via Freedom of Information Act requests show that the fully-loaded vehicle was sought per Brown's specifications. Thanks for the tip, Brady!

[Source: Washington Post | Image: Kris Connor/Getty Images]

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