Notes: Alexandria Times reports former Mayor Bill Euille was focus of FBI probe

Good Wednesday morning, Alexandria!

☀️ Today’s weather: Expect sunny skies and a high near 44 degrees, accompanied by a northwest wind blowing at 8 to 16 mph and gusts reaching up to 25 mph. As the evening approaches, skies will remain mostly clear with the temperature dipping to 27 degrees. The wind will decrease to around 6 mph, eventually calming down after midnight.

🚨 You need to know

Former Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille at the Scottish Christmas Walk Parade in Old Town on Saturday, Dec. 2, 2023 (staff photo by James Cullum)

(Updated 2/22) The Alexandria Times and the Alexandria Journalism Project reported this week that former Mayor Bill Euille had been the focus of an FBI probe over a $260,000 check from one of the city’s largest developers.

The story started with the discovery in early 2017 of a stub of the check and a deposit slip to Euille from Hubert N. Hoffman III. The check was dated June 18, 2012; during a time when the City Council was considering several large Hoffman development projects around Eisenhower Avenue.

The Alexandria Times investigation showed that the check was deposited into Euille’s personal account and there was no reported campaign contribution for that total. Euille also did not recuse himself from votes on Hoffman projects.

The check was discovered in the Mayor’s office by Mayor Allison Silberberg. Silberberg took it to then-City Attorney Jim Banks, then-Police Chief Mike Brown and then-City Manager Mark Jinks. Brown suggested the items be turned over to the FBI, which launched an investigation.

According to the Alexandria Times, Silberberg was told by an FBI agent in 2020 that the U.S. Attorney decided not to pursue the matter as a legal case. The Alexandria Journalism Project has filed a FOIA request to the FBI for more information about the case and why it was not pursued, the Times reported, but the request is pending.

The full story is available at the Alexandria Times and is worth a read.