D.C. Council member Jack Evans, for three decades a powerful fixture of District government, said Tuesday that he will resign from office, allowing him to avoid being expelled by his colleagues for more than a dozen ethics violations.
The city’s longest-serving lawmaker, Evans (D-Ward 2) for months had rebuffed demands from council members, civic leaders and activists that he step down. But as the council was about to meet to offer him a last chance to defend himself, Evans told Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) that he would resign Jan. 17.
“I believe Washington, DC to be the pride of the nation and I am proud of the contributions I have made in helping to create a vibrant city,” Evans, 66, wrote in a brief letter that made no mention of the ethical lapses he’d committed. “It has been an honor and a privilege to serve.”
Mendelson, a longtime ally who had been urging Evans to surrender his seat, characterized the resignation as “a step in restoring the integrity of this institution and the trust of the public.”