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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

• Kwame Looks To Wells For Occupy Answers
  

Good morning sweet readers! Wouldn’t it be nice if local pols released their tax returns? Prediction: all of them pay a higher effective tax rate than Mitt Romney. News time:

A Lotto Bull: The Office of the Inspector General has finally concluded its investigation into the highly politicized way the D.C. government decided which local businessman would make a killing as a partner in city’s lottery. The main finding: nobody broke any laws, which is good news for Councilmember Michael Brown‘s push to legalize online gambling. But that doesn’t mean the IG’s report didn’t fling some dirty on some of the city’s big wigs, per the Post and TWT. CFO Nat Gandhi‘s office didn’t follow “procurement regulations” when it inserted an online gambling provision after the contract was awarded (Gandhi’s office says the IG’s report is wrong). Former Attorney General Peter Nickles, who called for the IG investigation, appears to have meddled in whether one local company received preference points, which if Nickles had any shame, might have him regretting calling for the probe. But does he? Emmanual Bailey, the local businessman who came out on top when all was said and done, misrepresented his company’s “business activities.” Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans is holding a hearing on online gambling Thursday, where the IG will be discussing his report.

AFTER THE JUMP: Dirty Harry’s Enablers; More Running for Ward 5; Kevin Chavous Gets 32 Hours of Community Service…

Dirty Harry’s Enablers: The Post editorial board says the District needs to take a second to ask why two upstanding citizens, Marshall Banks and Jimmy Garvin, didn’t have the backbone to stand up to disgraced former Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr.‘s stealing ways. “Before the District can “move on,” as its elected officials are wont to proclaim, from the Thomas affair, it needs to confront its own complicity in looking the other way.” Related: D.C. Auditor says more Thomas-like stealing still possible.

In Other News:

• 17 people have taken the first step toward running for the empty Ward 5 seat. Is it too early for a candidate forum? No, says ANC commish Tim Clark, who has organized one tonight.
• Ward 7 council candidate Kevin Chavous takes a deferred prosecution deal on soliciting prostitution deal, will serve 32 hours of community service.
• Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson is on board with Council Chairman Kwame “Fully Loaded” Brown’s plan to lure top teachers to struggling schools with cold hard cash.
• Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh says the city’s bean counters didn’t budget enough money for her healthy food initiative.
• Republican at-large candidate Mary Brooks Beatty says she represents “honest-to-goodness” change compared to Councilmember Michael Brown.
• Mayor Vince Gray channeling his inner Tony Williams for his city summit, even hiring the same pricey “deliberative democracy” specialist. Says high cost isn’t a huge concern, because this is a friggin’ democracy.
• DCPS doesn’t need another $25 million, says Harry Jaffe.
• 53 youths involved in murders were on risk list.

Gray sked: 2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.: Media Interview: Washingtonian Magazine’s Carol Joynt

Council sked: Revised budget at 10 a.m., prostitution-free zones at 11 a.m.