Opinion ID: 2558572
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: July 20, 2010 Amended Report

Text: The charges dealt with in the Board's July 28, 2010, Amended Report arose from respondent's conduct in connection with whistleblower claims she alleged against her employer, OHR, and subsequent dealings with the Office of Inspector General (OIG) and the Council of the District of Columbia in connection with those allegations. We adopt the Board's report (incorporated herein as Appendix B), which sets forth and adopts the Hearing Committee's detailed findings of fact concerning respondent's misconduct, and offer a short summary of those findings of fact here. Respondent's misconduct arose from a complex series of events, beginning with her hiring at OHR in December 2000. As head of the investigating unit, respondent was partially responsible for the contracting duties of the office. In June 2001, respondent's supervisor began efforts to terminate her employment for performance reasons. In an apparent attempt to head off her termination, respondent filed a whistleblower complaint with OIG on July 20, 2001, regarding an allegedly improper contract between OHR and a private attorney, Vere Plummer. In the sequence of events that followed, respondent engaged in an elaborate and extraordinary series of actions to shore up her allegations of improper contracting by OHR by furnishing documents and other evidence to OIG investigating agents and even to D.C. Council member Vincent Orange. An ensuing investigation by OIG demonstrated that respondent had manipulated and fabricated documents that she presented before the Council and had testified falsely before the Council, purporting to recount events that actually never took place. Bar Counsel initiated his own investigation of respondent and brought the charges now before us. Hearing Committee Number Nine concluded that three documents that respondent introduced as evidence to the Committee were either altered versions of other documents, or of doubtful authenticity. Based on these conclusions, Hearing Committee Number Nine agreed with Bar Counsel that respondent had violated Rules 3.4(a), 3.4(b), 8.1(a), 8.4(b), 8.4(c), and 8.4(d). The Board subsequently adopted the Hearing Committee's report and recommended disbarment. We adopt the Board's report, incorporated herein as Appendix B. We accept the conclusion that it demonstrates by clear and convincing evidence that respondent violated Rules 3.4(a), 3.4(b), 8.1(a), 8.4(b), 8.4(c), and 8.4(d). We turn to a discussion of the appropriate sanctions.