Mystery at-large candidate Arkan Haile is trying to get some press time by decrying the $2,000-a-month lease payments taxpayers are footing for Mayor Vince Gray and Council Chairman Kwame Brown‘s Lincoln Navigators.

In a statement released by his campaign, Haile says was “disapointed” in Gray and Brown given the city’s crummy financial situation.

“One would think that our ever-expanding budget deficit—now $600M and counting—would make our two senior-most elected officials a little squeamish about spending so lavishly on personal transportation. If not that, than our 10.2% unemployment rate,” says Haile, a Eritrean-born lawyer who lives on Capitol Hill.

Nice try Arkan, but LL doesn’t think anyone is dumb enough to fall for such a bald-faced publicity ploy.

Photo courtesy of arkanfordccouncil.com