Kwame Brown's SUV Costs City $1900 a Month: Report

Kwame Brown had a very clear vision of what he wanted before taking over as chairman of the D.C. Council, according to the Washington Post:

A black on black, extended length Lincoln Navigator S.U.V, with a DVD player in the back.

A Post investigation into emails sent by Brown's office seem to contradict the chairman's initial claims that he did not specifically choose the vehicle in which he now travels.  The Post wrote:

E-mails written by members of his staff and city officials - and obtained by The Washington Post through the Freedom of Information Act - tell a different story, beginning with a Department of Public Works solicitation in November for a 2011 Lincoln Navigator L series, an extended-wheelbase version of the Navigator. The e-mail specified "Fully Loaded Required" and indicated that the vehicle was being sought at Brown's request.

 According to the report, the city had procured a different Lincoln Navigator for Brown, which he rejected because the interior was grey, not black.  Although Brown is not currently using that vehicle, the city must still pay monthly lease payments for it - totaling $1,769 per month.

After the first vehicle was rejected, a staffer for Brown sent an email spelling out exactly what the incoming chairman wanted to William Howland, D.C. director of public works.  From the Post:

The next afternoon, Nyasha Smith - a D.C. Council staff member who was the incoming council secretary, its chief administrative officer - e-mailed Howland: "We requested from Department of Public Works in October a black Navigator, black-on-black interior, GPS, power moon [roof], rear entertainment system and aluminum wheels. Notwithstanding our timely request, we were not apprised of the difficulty in procuring the requested vehicle within the time frame and only yesterday, upon the vehicle's delivery, realized that we did not get what was requested, I am trying to get what is requested."

A second vehicle was found that matched the specifications laid out by Brown's office.  The vehicle's lease was $1,963 per month, and the car had to be specially transported from Michigan, because there were none the on the East Coast that met the specifications.

When the car arrived, the Post said there was one problem: the interior seats were tan.  Still, Brown has retained this vehicle for his official use.

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