$700,000 investigation into former Bowser aide ‘worth every penny,’ says D.C. council member

A costly third-party investigation into sexual harassment allegations against John Falcicchio, the former chief of staff to D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, “was worth every penny,” said D.C. Councilmember Brianne Nadeau, one of the lawmakers who championed the investigation .

“This report contains recommendations from an independent investigator on how the mayor’s investigation into Falcicchio’s actions could have been handled differently and better,” Nadeau said.

Nadeau said there are also recommendations on what the D.C. government can do to prevent sexual harassment in the future.

In a statement Friday, Nadeau said the investigation was complete and she was considering what parts of it might be released to the public.

This process is not yet complete, Nadeau confirmed on Monday.

“I am currently working with our general counsel to determine what things need to be redacted in the report to protect the privacy of the complainants,” Nadeau said. “Once we complete this process, we should be able to release it to the public.”

The D.C. Office of the Inspector General hired a law firm to conduct the investigation, which cost taxpayers nearly $750,000.

“I believe this was worth every penny to ensure that the public understands what process really took place and what we need to do better with their tax dollars to protect the employees of the District of Columbia,” Nadeau said.

Previously, the only investigation that had taken place was conducted by the Mayor’s Office of Legal Counsel.

Nadeau and others had called for a third party to investigate the allegations, claiming that the mayor’s lawyers’ investigation into the matter could be viewed as a conflict of interest.

Bowser said Monday that she had seen the report but was instructed by the inspector general’s office not to comment publicly.

“The inspector general has requested confidentiality, so I respect that,” Bowser said. “I think the IG and the council should decide how we proceed.”

Two city employees had accused Falcicchio of sexual misconduct.

Last week, the mayor’s legal team confirmed it had reached an agreement with the two women but was not allowed to disclose the terms due to “confidentiality rules.”

Lawyers representing the women issued a statement saying they also could not discuss details related to the settlement.

According to the Washington Post, the settlement with one of the women included a cash payment of between $300,000 and $500,000.

In addition to serving as the mayor’s chief of staff, Falcicchio also served as the city’s deputy mayor for planning and economic development.

Falcicchio resigned from his city positions last year when the allegations first came to light.

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