Councilmember Jack Evans is sticking by controversial AG Peter Nickles. Last week, a U.S. District Court judge strongly condemned the OAG’s conduct surrounding a Pershing Park civil suit in which discovery has taken at least five years, and crucial evidence has gone missing or been destroyed. Yesterday, we highlighted one particularly egregious screw-up involving a troubling affidavit submitted by city attorneys to the court. His colleagues on the Judiciary Committee—-Phil Mendelson and Mary Cheh—-have called for Nickles to resign.

Evans also thinks the U.S. District Court judge’s strong recommendation that the D.C. Council should investigate the OAG is misplaced. “I would think that the more appropriate agency would be the inspector general,” Evans tells City Desk. “Certainly, someone would have to determine if there was wrongdoing. That’s not the city council’s job that’s the inspector general’s job.”

Evans is sure that Nickles did not commit any of the alleged wrongdoing. For one thing, Nickles was not in office during the bulk of the Pershing Park case’s activity. That fishy affidavit? Well, that’s come up under his watch.

Should Nickles resign? “Oh God no,” Evans says. “I think Peter Nickles does a great job for the District. This is the first time we got an attorney general that actually defends the city.”