Ward 5 D.C. Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr. will plead guilty to two federal felony charges on Friday and resign his seat on the council immediately, according to a statement his lawyer, Seth Rosenthal, just emailed out.

The full statement is here:

Tomorrow morning I will plead guilty to committing two federal crimes. I am resigning my position as a member of the Council effective immediately. I made some very serious mistakes and exhibited inadequate and flawed judgment. I take full responsibility for my actions. I am truly sorry.

As a Councilmember and throughout my life, I have dedicated myself to serving the residents and the youth of Washington, D.C. In the pursuit of this work, I made some poor decisions and acted in ways I simply should not have. I was wrong.

I want to apologize to those I have let down, including my constituents, neighbors and friends in Ward 5, the residents of this great city, the mayor, my fellow councilmembers and the government officials that serve our city tirelessly.

To the young people with whom I have worked, as well as their parents and caregivers, I offer my sincerest apologies. Through athletics, I have tried to teach you the importance of character and integrity. My conduct set a poor example.

Finally, to my family, I deeply regret the pain that this has caused each of you. I know that your decades of commitment to Ward 5 and the Washington, D.C. community, which has always filled me with pride, will continue. It is through the efforts of individuals like my mother, a public school principal, and my father, who served as representative of Ward 5 with great distinction, that our community becomes great. It is this legacy of service that I hope to live up to again.

Today I am taking the first step toward making things right.

Thank you for the abundance of support and prayers.

I ask the media and the public to allow me and my family privacy.

I have no further comments at this time. Thank you.

Several candidates are already preparing to run for the seat in a special election that would likely be in May.

Photo by Darrow Montgomery