The mess over how the D.C. Council awarded the D.C. Lottery contract oh so many moons ago shows no sign of disappearing soon. Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham and Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans have been been served with subpoenas to testify in a civil trial brought by Eric Payne, a former contracting officer with the CFO’s office. The Examiner reported last week that Mayor Vince Gray and CFO Nat Gandhi have also been served subpoenas.

Payne says he was improperly fired after resisting Gandhi’s undue political pressure while the lottery contract was up for bid. Gandhi has denied any wrongdoing.

Why Evans and Graham? Payne says they were witnesses to Gandhi’s alleged pressuring.

“Upon information and belief, the CFO had committed to certain City Councilmembers and other politically connected individuals to terminate Plaintiff and re-bid the lottery contract,” Payne’s complaint, filed in federal court, says.

Graham says he’s done nothing wrong and would be happy to make his case at the appropriate time. But he adds that the council’s counsel, David Zvenyach, plans to ask that the subpoenas be quashed. Zvenyach declined comment.